4x09, Larger than Life
by A wee Moose
Summary: Star Trek Pretoria. Energy life forms investigate the starship Pretoria's crew for signs of intelligence
1. Part 1 of 5

A Certain Quadarite's Quarters, Somewhere Around 03:45 Hours

In the darkness, something brushed up against Sabaqwa Isth's furry leg. In a blinding instant of kicking, flying sheets and pillows, small, desperate whimpers, and something else that got knocked to the floor in a loud thump, Sabaqwa sits straight up, legs entangled in his sheets and his bluish black mane of hair sticking up in an even wilder "Albert Einstien" than he'd had in ages. If one could have set cups of tea in his eyes, they would have made perfect saucers.

He sat there perfectly still for a few seconds, looking like an exploded dandelion. As sleep took over, he began to slide sideways as though the air had been let out of his spine. Just before he lost balance over the side of the bed, he shook himself, focus returning in a terror to his eyes, and squeaked like an impaled bird. Blinking perplexed, shocked at himself, but too sleepy to think, he slumps backwards into his bed with a 'thunk'.

Sabaqwa lays there, almost asleep at last, when his eyes fly wide open.

"And what the living cracks is an 'Albert Einstein' anyways!" he yells at everyone and no one at all, the memory of being teased by Starfleet humans searing him awake. Not a place he wanted to be. Not at 03:45 am.

With a grumpy growl, Sabaqwa rolls to the side of the bed, thinking to swing his long legs over the edge and catapult himself back upright. But in his tussle with whatever in the world had awakened him so rudely, he misjudges his position in the bed, and flips back around with a hard 'whap'. His head now at the foot of the bed, his feet where his head used to be, and sticking out most awkwardly, claws and toes extended like fans.

Now, he not only had been awakened rudely, but had to bear the memory of previous insults without being fully awake, now was dizzy, angry on top of it all, and fully basakwards in his bed.

Sheets and pillows went flying in all directions, none of them surviving without deep holes and rips in them.

Deafening Silence.

A single pillow feather floats innocently down and lands on Sabaqwa's nose. His eyes, not quite able to focus nor cross correctly at this time of morning, merely makes him quite nauseated in the attempt to look at it close up. Somehow, (and anything is possible at 03:45 in the morning), he accidentaly inhales the feather up his exceedingly sensitive nose. His eyes go unevenly wide, one eyelid quivering uncontrollably and a terrible grimace evolving on his spotted feline face.

There is nothing like a cat sneeze, until a Quadarite has a go at it.

Eleven decks up, below and in all directions around his quarters, people are jolted from their collective sleeps by the most bizzare and inexplicable cacophanies of sounds. Hacking like a dying goose, ripping, splattering, wheezing, mewling piteously and several other spasms later, Sabaqwa Isth finally gets control of himself. Sort of..

In the quarters next to Sabaqwa's, a man sits straight up in his bed, the sound having jolted him from his sleep.

"Damned cat at it again." He mumbles and flops back into his sheets.

Three decks up, a little girl wanders into her parent's bedroom, rubbing her sleepy eyes and hugging her teddy bear, "Mommy? Daddy? What was that sound?".

Her parents sit up and look at each other a little startled. They'de heard it too, but couldn't have guessed what it was. The woman looks all around, rubbing her eyes too,

"Well, no red alert, no yellow alert... I'de say..."

"We're ok." the sleepy parents say in perfect unison.

"Mommy? Can I go back to sleep now?" The little girl says with a pout. Her parents gladly grant her wish as they snuggle back down to sleep themselves.

Back in Sabaqwa Isth's quarters...

A very small creature, small enough to fit in one's palm, scuttles slowly from the remnants of Sabaqwa's bedding. A mini hedgehog, the innocent author of this morning's adventure.

Sab, turns suddenly in the bed, sensing and hearing movement.

"LIGHTS!" he shrieks to the top of his lungs. Sleep deprivation, personal calamities and nerves having taken over completely, he begins to shake. The neighbor next door bangs on the wall hollering for him to keep it down. Sab's chin begins to quiver, so he curls up, hugging up his knees and snuggles into himself.

Just out of Sabaqwa's field of vision, the tiny hedgehog drops to the floor and finds a nice warm remnant of what had previously been a pillow. It happily burrows into the warm fluff for a comfy doze.

As the realization sinks in that he just isn't going to get anymore sleep tonight, Sab's whole expression melts in dismay, his ears going limp, one at a time.

"I still don't know what an 'Albert Einstein' is." He says with a very soft pout.

Captain Rakurai Stryker - Dot's Diner

Sabaqwa looked frazzled, possibly meaning he'd not slept too well.

There he was, looked on at the unreal scene in front of them. The CO and XO of the ship was sitting at table 21. On the table, six half eaten limes and lemons plus the remains of Trill hot peppers. Commander Khetrha and Captain Stryker was crying their eyes out and eating the peppers on a dare, adding to the mess on the table. The blueskinned waitress, Kwai Tsuta was laughing. "I win." she declared.

Sabaqwa Isth stepped in when Khetrha almost grabbed Kwai Tsuta by the collar. "Sir, Ma'am. Please. Why don't you turn in for the night. You don't look so good."

"A little too late for that." Stryker said, wiping at his face. "The time is 0530 hours. Daytime shift starts in thirty minutes."

05:30 Hours, and somewhere on the Pretoria, Kiya searches for a hollodeck not in use, to no avail.

Dressed in her best thigh-length silk running shorts and slim silk running top, all in deepest royal blue, and in her customary running fashion of being barefoot, black hair loose and free, Kiya jogs to the next holodeck, hoping this one isn't in use like the other nine so far.

She checks the status bar near the holodeck's door, and as all the others have been, this one's in use too. She sighs, "Well, at least I'll get in a good jog today if all of them are unavailable." She shrugs and begins her jog to the next deck. A few passing crewmen look at her and smile. Kiya smiles back and continues onward not thinking again about it.

As she nears the next deck, she decides to take the turbolift, jogging in place to keep her metabolism running hot. Just as the doors start to sigh shut, a science officer dashes in, barely missing the doors as they close.

"Morning Doctor." The man says, a little out of breath. Kiya nods a hello and deciding not to be chatty, simply smiles and keeps her eyes ahead, continuing to jog in place.

The man smiles softly, then looks ahead too, shuffling his stack of various reports into the other arm. But after a moment, his curiosity and need to speak override her cues for no conversation.

"Pardon my rudeness Doctor, may I introduce myself?"

He looks downright drop dead gorgeous. The blue of the uniform going quite appealingly with his startlingly blue eyes, blond, short-cropped hair and narrow, close-cropped beard and moustache. Kiya can't help but notice his smile is handsome all by itself. It fairly radiates. She swallows as her voice has suddenly fled the scene.

"O- oh, yeah." She nearly sqauwks out at last, a little embarrased at herself, realising too late her manners have taken a leave of absence too.

The quick increase in his smile was a glory to see, one of the most incredible smiles Kiya had observed in ages. She swallows again wondering where did she ever loose her professional grip in the presence of any officer, especially such a ...handsome one.

"The pleasure's all mine Doctor, my name is Lt. Kevin Talboth, Chief of Stellar Cartography." He extends his hand for a friendly shake, the smile even more devastating to Kiya now. She feels giddy as her palms have gone suddenly moist.

She struggles for a foothold on her normally cool venere, "Uhm.. Lt. Cdr. Kiya Black Wolf, I'm your friendly neighborhood CMO." She says, trying not to stammer. She also tries to smile her regular smile, but instead colors a deep red as his hand brushes into hers. She swallows again and shakes his strong, warm hand quickly, wishing with all her being that he would let go of it before the rest of her melts like a silly schoolgirl. Her grin becomes terribly sheepish and the color of her reddening face is only accentuated by her natural Native American olive complection. A perfect clash now with her brilliantly deep royal blue athletic clothes.

"So nice to meet you Lt. Commander Black Wolf." He says formally, still, with that incredible smile, and a fondness that made her quake to her bare feet.

The turbolift comes to a soft jolt as the ride is over. As soon as the doors begin to open, Kiya quickly excuses herself and resumes her jog for the next nearest holodeck. Strangely enough, it looked more like she was running instead.

From the turbolift, Lt. Talboth grins softly as he watches Lt. Cdr. Black Wolf run, her athletic clothes completely inside out, the tags waving behind her.

Krone - Lieutenant Krone's Quarters

Krone woke up to the sound of the Computer's voice, The time is 0530 Hours. And to it, he got up and rubbed his head.

"Uggh... I cannot believe I chose to be on this ship."

Krone walked into his bathroom and began brushing his teeth. Looking through the mirror, he saw how tired he was. "I do not even feel like going into work today."

Corridors

He stepped out his Quarters and bumped into Kiya Black Wolf. She was jogging and had accidentally hit him in the shoulder.

"Oh! Excuse me!" She said apologetically and then continued on running before Krone could respond.

"Ugghhhh..." he responded to himself.  
"Krone! How's it going?" One of his officers, Ensign Zetachi, joined him in walking.  
Oh great, Krone thought. Can't I go one day without walking into this guy?  
"Sir, you're not answering me. Are you in deep thought again?"  
"Errsorry. I was just admiring the walls."  
"No... no you weren't," Zetachi said. "I think you don't like me!"  
"What? That's preposterous!"  
"I can't believe it! I've been so nice to you lately, and now out of nowhere you decide to not like me!" Zetachi was starting to feel hurt.  
"No, no. It's not like that at all! I really was admiring the walls. Look at that grey!" Krone stopped and gestured towards a blank spot on the wall.  
"Fine then sir. If you don't like me, well I guess it's not required in your job."

Zetachi turned his head, having been hurt inside, and then walked away.

Krone was left, still gesturing at the wall. He didn't have any clue to what the hell just happened. In bringing down his arms, he began grumbling. "Ugghh! All I want is another Lethean Coffee."

He entered a Turbolift and took it up a few Decks.

Commander Alice Brangwin

Alice woke up, immediatly noticing something is wrong. The bed was huge, the lack of the warp core 'heartbeat' was noticable. The room was the third clue, it was huge, and made of stone.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed. Alice brought her left hand to rub her eyes, but halted it inches away to stare at the four fingers tipped in shiny gold polish. Then, ever-so-carefully, she touched her face.

Alice found that her forehead rose into a row of thin quills that swept back like a tiara. Instead of eyebrows, she had thick ridges. Alice found she has a beck, her cheekbones high with a pert nose.

She looked at a full length mirror, taking in the promising curves of calf and thigh, the ballerina-arched talons, a pair of spurs rising from her knees.

Shifting her shoulders, she heard and felt wings moving against her back. First left, then right, she extended them, then brought them around her body like a cloak. All of it in deepest indigo. More shock followed when she discovered another apenange. I have a tail !

Sure enough, a tail attached to her backside coiled like a tropical serpent lounging on a branch.

Alice hugged herself, then ran her palms over her torso. "COOL!", she exclaimed. "I AM A GARGOYLE."

She tore the window open, suddenly bathed in a swirl of icy air, and dove headlong into the night. She glided, every now and then doing a giddy little loop, "I don't think this can get any weirder."

She glided over the castle's courtyard. In the center of the sparkling pool was a statue composed of many figures. Three identical gowned women faced outward in a ring, pouring endless streams from silvery urns. Two taller figures, a man and a woman with unusually angular features and royal garb, stood on a pedestal above and between the three women. Nearby, another pool, stood a stone unicorn, a column-ringed structure around that pool.

Then her bedside alarm went off ...

Krone - Science Lab 4

Krone entered the Science Lab and was met by Ensign Theda.  
"What's the matter Lieutenant? You don't look so good," she said.  
"Argh! It's that annoying Zetachi. I ran into him this morning and let's just say things are not good between us."  
"Oh no! You didn't get angry and hit him did you?"

Krone went to the main desk and activated a few computer stations. "No, not at all. I just happened to let my mind wander while he was speaking and he suddenly claimed that I did not like him!"  
Theda was surprised by this and placed her hands on her hips, "Well do you?"  
"What?"  
"Like him?"  
"I find him annoying at times! Especially at this time in particular!"  
Theda suddenly broke out laughing, "Hehehe! Oh come on Krone. Just give the guy a chance. He works under you, so obviously he wants you to like him."  
"I am sorry. But are we back in Lethean Pre-School here?"  
Theda shrugged her shoulders, "It's Basic Command Structure 101. Everyone looks up to thier commanding officers in some way or another. And on a side note, you're the only one on this ship that went to Lethean Pre-School." She poked him in the chest.  
Krone became annoyed at even this. "Alright, alright," he gave in, "I'll give Zetachi a chance to enter the books of who-Krone-tolerates."  
"Good. Oh, and I was just wondering... what do you think of me?"

She smiled politely at him, but Krone just rolled his eyes and left the desk area.

06:10 hours

Commander Alice Brangwin - Quarters, Bed room

Alice shook off the weird and vivid dream she had. Then the red haired woman got up automatically at her usual time, 0530 hours, and headed towards the shower.

She didn't wake up when she stubbed her toe, or even when she turned on the bright fluorescents in the bathroom, only when the first sprays of cold water hit her body did she fully regain consciousness.

When it came, it brought memories with it. Stryker did not come home last night. There is something I was going to tell him last night, she thought.


	2. Part 2

Along a quiet corridor, Sammy walks alone, submerged in chaotic thoughts

Samantha Bonne McIver wasn't usually up at this hour, neither was she usually this depressed. This just wasn't like her usually happy, perky self; a fit of giggles always just under the skin of things in her active little mind. But the past few weeks weren't 'usual' for her at all, nor for anyone else aboard the Pretoria.

Her face looked down, not really seeing her feet, or the soft carpeting of the corridor, or even the spikey little creature scuttling along the edge of the wall just infront of her, stopping only now and again to see if she would keep advancing on it.

With a great sigh, Sammy stops. She stands there, her head back and her eyes closed in deep thought. 'what am I going to do now?' She slides down along the wall, crumbling to the floor in a pile, her hands in her lap. Her eyes and face are swollen from hours of crying, and days of crying before that. She'd been up all night again, unable to sleep, unable to rest in any way. And now she wandered aimlessly, trying to make sense of everything in her head.

Along the wall just a few feet from her, the little creature stops predictably to look and see if there is movement still behind it. Sensing nothing moving, the little mini hedgehog instinctively scuttles to the only nearest cover it could see with it's very nearsighted eyes; Sammy.

Tears ran in rivers once again down Sammy's cute freckled face. Just when they seemed to stop, they would always start again, running like acid from her weary eyes. The emotions within her have been tearing at her for weeks now.

First she fell in love with Tiko Black Wolf, the man of her dreams, who swept her so deftly off her feet and into his great big, soft Apache heart. Then there were many sweet nights of romance followed by that one very important night of passion and deep love. So many dreams they had made together, so many beautiful plans for their future. Then tragedy visited her, and she lost Tiko Black Wolf to the trite parasites, him still in sickbay with no hope of recovering from the coma that had claimed his mind and body.

Now the heavy weight of her changing body plagued her mind. She'd helped her aunt Leonna deliver enough babies to know how far along she was, the wiggles and flutters in her abdomen only adding to her miserable truth; she was pregnant. And Tiko would probably never live to know.

With that, she broke completely down once again, burying her face in her hands. Sammy's soft, resigned sobs were incredibly quiet, expressing deeper sorrows than any loud keens of loss could ever express. Her whole body shook as her sobs racked her small frame in heavy jolts.

"I'm never getting Tiko back, am I?" she softly wailed into her hands. "Where am I supposed to go now? My parents will hate me for being alone now, and like this. They won't want me back." She wiped her hands on her lap, laying her head against the wall, tears streaming silently down into her collar. Sammy's mind raced with hoplessness. Where was her beautiful future now? Laying in sickbay, dead to the world and not far from death itself. She felt like screaming, but could not muster the strength to do so.

Sammy had been wearing baggy, thick jogsuits for weeks now, anything to hide her bulging little belly from prying eyes and nosey questions. In just the past week, she'd already had to replicate 3 more jogsuits, each another size larger, and these were already begining to pinch just a little bit around her abdomen.

With a heavy sigh, fatigue setting in, she decided to go find to her one true friend, if she will still accept her friendship. The guilt in Sammy's heart felt like a lead grapefruit caught in her throat. She began to cry all over again. It had been weeks since she had spoken to Alice, the fears and devastation having made her recluse herself in her agony from everyone, even her most trusted friend, Alice. Sammy just hadn't had the will to live, much less answer all the messages and calls Alice had blanketed her with in the past several weeks. She remembered a night two weeks ago, the pain in Alice's voice had torn Sammy apart, but she could not answer the comm. That night something in Sammy had broken and she sat up all night, like this one, and cried without end. She knew she had broken Alice's heart.

Scuttling into the only safe haven the tiny hedgehog could sense, it burrowed gently into the warm soft pocket of Sammy's jogpants, the very large pocket seeming like a warm snuggly blanket, so warm and soft. So like the burrows it had gotten lost from in the nearby arboretum only a few doors down from the two of them. With a lazy tiny yawn, the little creature softened it's body and curled into a compact little ball, sleep finally claiming it as Sammy walked towards Alice and Rakurai's quarters.

moments later in front of the Captain's quarters...

Sammy stood there, her hands limp at her sides again. She'd only tried six times to touch the panel anouncing her presence to the room's occupants behind the door. As Sammy's hand reached once again for the button, quivering and cold with sweat and wiped tears, she pulls her hand away again. She turns to go, doubt a more comfortable companion than facing the probable rejection of her dearest friends. As Sammy steps away, the door suddenly sighs open behind her back. Sammy freezes in place, caught and no place to turn. Her head sinks, her chin on her chest, resigned to the fatality of the next few moments.

"Sam? Sammy? Is that you?" the familiar voice calls, softly, slightly shaken. Alice brushes her red hair from her face and walks up behind her best friend, her hand just about to touch Sammy's shoulder.

"You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to Alice, I won't blame you. I deserve it." Sammy looks a little over her shoulder but not quite making the eye contact she could not bear to make. Alice's hand stops just short of touching her and drops to her side, shock on Alice's face.

"T-talk to you.. I want to, I mean.. what could you possibly mean by my blaming you?" Alice takes Sammy's shoulders gently, and turns the silently weeping girl to face her, "You deserve what, love? What are you talking about? I have been so worried about you!"

Sammy tries to talk, but the words catch in her throat, all she can do is work her silent mouth, her eyes unable to look up into Alice's green eyes, and her hands gesturing helplessly.

Before Sammy can think, Alice snuggles her into a hug, the shudders from Alice telling Sammy that she is crying to. "Honey, please tell me what is wrong, what happened? Did I do something, say something to make you like this? Please tell me, please Sammy.. Has someone hurt you? Did I?"

At long last, the revelation of fears errupt from Sammy. Alice cannot understand but lets her dear friend sob into her shoulder, relentless silent sobs that shakes Alice from their great force. Alice is mortified, she cannot understand, but holds onto Sammy, not willing to let her go for one instant.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sammy finally softens and becomes still, her sobs now quiet and her legs begining to tremble in weakness. Sammy hasn't eaten since sometime yesterday morning, when everything came right back up, morning sickness having robbed her once again.

Raggedly, Sammy tries to speak, but her legs give out. Alice catches her just in time, helping her into her quarters. With a slight effort, Alice gets Sammy to the couch before her own legs give out, she hasn't eaten either, and she is begining to feel it herself.

Alice dashes to the bathroom to get Sammy two cold wet rags, she comes back as quickly as possible and lays one on Sammy's horribly swollen eyes, the other on Sammy's neck to cool and soothe her throat. She can see Sammy is terribly white, and realization hits her. "Sammy, you haven't had a bite to eat have you?" Sammy slowly rolls her head side to side, unable to talk.

"You just lay still, I'll get you something. I'll be right back!"

Alice dashes off to the replicator,

In a few moments, Alice returns with a small platter filled with an assortment of nibbles for the two of them. She sets the platter down on a small table and pulls herself a chair over beside the couch. She almost sits down, then realises there isn't anything to drink and runs off again, this time producing a pitcher of gingerale and two small glasses. Alice seats herself still looking quite worried at Sammy, who hasn't moved since she left her.

"Sammy, honey, look, I brought us a little bit to nibble on, can you eat?"

Sammy peeks out from under the wet rag and sees what looks like a banquet to her; there were three kinds of crackers, melba toast, peanut butter on apple slices and celery, six kinds of nuts and only three she couldn't identify, 'probably from Rakurai's homeworld', she thought to herself, her mouth watering anxiously. There were little sandwiches of cheese and crackers, a small tub of cottage cheese, another of Zendahr yogurt that was sprinkled with granola, and small cubes of turkey and chicken with little toothpicks inserted in them. Her tummy grumbled audibly and explosively.

"Yep, I'de say it's time to eat kiddo!" Alice smiled wide and snatched a handfull of nuts, chomping them down like she hadn't eaten in decades. Sammy couldn't resist, she too went for the nuts knowing darn well she'd been craving them mixed with yogurt for days. Next she dipped a slice of melba toast in the yogurt and began to gobble, the variety of food making her eat like a ravenous panther.

After about ten minutes, the platter was nothing but crumbs, the pitcher was three quarters of the way empty, and the both of them were sitting on the couch looking quite satisfied.

"Thank you." Sammy said at last, her voice sqeaky and shakey. Alice almost fell off the couch, by now somewhat used to the idea that Sammy just wasn't going to talk.

Alice swung her knees to face her friend, and pulled her hands into her lap, "Sammy, Rakurai and I both have been very worried, please tell me, what has happened? I know this is not like you."

For the first time in weeks, Sammy didn't cry.

For an hour the two friends talked, Sammy pouring out everything, all but one very important fact. She just could not reveal her pregnancy to Alice.

Alice went back to the replicator and came back with two sweedish coffees. This time with a very pert smile on her face.

"Sammy? I have a little secret." her face shone like the sun.

"What is it...?" Sam looked in Alice's eyes and knew this was Big. "Okay, do I need to lay back down now, or is sitting ok?" she quipped.

"I dunno, you just flop back down on the couch if you need to." Alice made a happy face that seemed to want split her face with intensity. "Sammygirl, I'm pregnant! I wanted to tell you, but I just didnt know how to say it, so I just said it! There!"

Alice almost jigged in her chair, the reserve she held the rest of the time, she felt completely free to discard infront of Sammy. Around her, she could be her old self, happy and free.

Sammy just looked at her thunderstruck. "But I thought... didn't you tell me... you and Rakurai can't... now wait a minuit..." She stopped and shook her head. "How is this possible? I mean! ARGH! Of course I'm delighted Alice! Alice! You're going to have a baby! I'm an aunt!"

The two laughed and hugged each other jigging in place, which in Sammy's condition was not altogether a good idea. She stopped and grabbed her belly, and then very quickly her pocket where something was jabbing and scraping her leg.

"OW-OW-OW!" Sammy yelled, hissing in sudden pain.

"What is it Sammy?"

"Owwies! I don't know, hey! What is this.. OW!" Sammy pulled her hand back and there was a very tiny spine sticking out of her fingertip.

Alice grabbed the lining of Sammy's pocket and dumped it quickly towards a trashcan. With a squeak, the tiny hedgehog tumbled into the trashcan, saved by a few wads of paper, gum wrappers and an old sock of Rakurai's that had seen better days. Heads bumping together over the trashcan, they watched in amazement while the little critter scuttled around in terrified circles in the trashcan. Alice and Sammy looked up at each other at the same time.

"A hedgehog?" they said all at once.

Deck 1, Ready Room

Standing behind Stryker's desk, Alice tapped her foot, her arms crossed, and sighed deeply, "You fell asleep in your ready room again. What am I going to do with you ?"

"Very funny." he said. "Where have you been Alice ?"

She tried to answer but her voice suddenly went missing. "Admit, Heart." Stryker said, his anger rising. "You've been going to sickbay alot lately. We heard you and Kiya talking, so don't pretend it didn't happen. Now, what's wrong ?"

Alice sighed, somewhat happily. "There's nothing wrong."

"There's got to be something wrong." Stryker insisted. "I overheard you telling Kiya that you are getting tired of being tested and prodded and poked." Stryker continued, his words starting to run together. "There has to be something wrong!"

"Stryker... Nothing is wrong."  
"So there's a valid reason to seeing the doctor every day this week ?"

"Yes."  
"Like what?"

"How about I'm pregnant?" she asked, smiling.

"That's no excuse!" Stryker boomed. "Now, you had better...tell..."

Some sort of reasoning hit him like a ton of bricks. "What?" he asked, unsure he heard the question from earlier.

"That's why I've been in Sickbay so they can confirm it." she said. Looking up at him, she said, "I'm pregnant, Stryker."

Stryker's mouth dropped. "Are...are you...you..."

She took his face in her hands and whispered, "Congratulations, Daddy."

Stryker was stunned. He was trying to say something, but no sound came from his mouth. "Surprised ?" Alice asked. Stryker just nodded. "Happy ?" Stryker smiled slightly and nodded.

"Love so Alice you much I." he blurted, causing Alice to smile.

"I love you, too." she said, kissing his forehead. "And we can talk about baby names and stuff when I return."

Alice pushed him away slightly, stood and started heading for the door, leaving behind a very confused and shocked man.

Stryker got up on uneasy legs after a few minutes, and stood in front of the replicator wondering what he should order, his thoughts erratic and incoherent.

Somewhere along the way, the 8 foot tall Mahri First Officer, Commander Khetrha entered.

Khetrha turned her head slightly to the left, "You look pale Captain. Do you require medical attention ?"

"Alice is pregnant." he said softly.

"O ... okay." Khetrha said. "How ?"

"Those beings, Laida and Nagaia we met a few days ago."

Sickbay, 07:20 Hours

Kiya had given up on a decent jog anywhere. All the holodecks had been occupied, and everyone had either smiled, stared or chuckled at her. Then there was Mr. Bright Smile in the turbolift that had given her a dead serious case of twitterpation.

"Every last one of them had a real good laugh at the old Apache batleth today, didn't they?" she growled at herself, completely embarrased to her core. She hadn't gone anywhere in insideout clothes since she was four years old! Kiya grumped deeply as she sat behind her office desk, tapping some mundane report together for Starfleet Medical.

She stopped for a few and rubbed her acheing eyes and tried to sip her coffee, so far the only non-comedic solace she'd had today. Even Demi's attempts to console her were far too cheery for her glowering mood this morning, leaving her feeling like the whole world had suddenly gone insanely happy.

Kiya was about to grumble to the walls again, when she heard a familiar whimpering sound entering sickbay.

She looked up and saw what appeared to be an exploded dandelion with blue black hair and all his spotted bodyfur puffed wildly in all directions. He walking, well... more like shakily stalking into sickbay's doors. It was her friend Sabaqwa Isth, and from the looks of the Quadarite, his morning hadn't been any better than hers. She got up and met him in the middle of sickbay.

"Hey there Catpants, what's the problem today, hon?" Her nickname for him in recent months had become far less a jibe as an honest affectation. She trully liked the nervous Quadarite, and for the first time since he'd come aboard the Pretoria, he seemed to also be much more relaxed around the Apache doctor, on average, than he'd ever been around anyone except Sammy McIvers.

"Kiya... well.. I-I..ermm.." His skin began to colour his customary orangish-pink colours of embarasement as he tried to answer her, "It's just th-that I didn't get much sleep... the n-neighbor was angry, and I suppose he h-had a right to be ..I mean, then there was something in my bed with me and all, and i think it bit me!" He mewled slightly, frustrated and his words becoming more and more broken. He inhaled gently, "And then I inhaled a pillow feather up m-my nose.. and.. well.. Kiya...?"

Sabaqwa looked at her with such a mortified pleading look, so terribly nerve racked and tired that it honestly hurt the doctor's heart. She could see he was about to burst into tears.

"Come on Sabaqwa, come on. Let's go get you some spiced black chai, that'll help alot. You drink some of that, and I'll take care of the pillow feather and the rest, ok?"

He silently followed her to a nearby biobed, and settled himself on it while she went to get the hot chai from the replicator. He looked like he was about to fall off the biobed's edge, as sleep seemed to be trying to overwhelm him in the quiet sickbay.

Just in the nick of time, Kiya returned with the tea, a wry smile on her face. She softly touched his shoulder trying to gently rouse him before he crumpled to the floor.

Sabaqwa jumped slightly, but upon seeing it was only her, his startled expression and fur settled back somewhat and he took the hot mug of tea, sniffing gingerly before sipping.

Kiya watched in delight as the brew seemed to seep weak calm into his bones.

"Better?" she asked as quietly as possible, knowing it would take a little for his nerves to calm down.

"Ummmm.. oooh my, yes. Thank you Kiya, this is incredible." he purred in a soft voice. "Wherever did you get this? It would be wonderful in Dot's." His eyes seemed to be trying to shut as he sipped. A curious sight even in a human, but comical in a sleepy Quadarite's face.

Kiya scanned Sab's head with her tricorder and found the invasive feather to be only a few inches in and lodged in his lesser sinus cavity. 'that had to be horrendously painful.' she thought to herself, stilling a sympathetic shudder as she worked quickly.

"It's a chinese tea from earth, quite a favorite of mine, actually." She smiled at him and had him lay back on the biobed, a mercy to him as he seemed about to drift off to sleep as she talked in her quiet, soft voice. "I thought I might share that little secret remedy with you." She smiled at Sabaqwa softly, noting the effects already calming him.

Sabaqwa all but fell asleep before his head hit the pillow, the sedative in the brew taking effect almost immediately. Kiya took the mug carefully from his hand before it spilled, and began the delicate proceedure to remove the feather.

Once done, she began to scan him for injuries. Finding only one very minor break in his left ankle's skin, and still occupied by the cause of the break, she looked very puzzled. 'a quill?' where did that come from?', she mused as she sterilized the area and removed the little quill from amongst his fur, then sealed the tiny wound with a dermal regenerator and sterilized it again. As his fur was all the same colour as the quill, in his condition it would have been nearly impossible to see.

Just as she was finishing up, her attention was drawn to the doors of sickbay again, Alice and Sammy were shuffling in at almost a dead run. Kiya closed the curtain on the deeply sleeping Sabaqwa and hurried to them.

"What's up?", she asked quietly, nodding her head behind her towards the closed off biobed and motioning for them to go to her office. She knew that even though he was sedated, he could still be inadvertently startled. They both nodded in understanding and quickly headed for her Kiya's office.

The office doors had barely shut when Alice started to babble to Kiya about a small hedgehog found in Sammy's jogpants pocket. At the same time, and Kiya was having slight difficulty keeping both conversations seperate, Sammy began babbling about how there was a quill stuck in her index finger, and she had been afraid to just yank it out. Kiya's eyes widened. 'more quills!' what is this, a porqupine invasion?', Kiya mused to herself, the smirk already on her lips.

"Well, I hardly think it's funny." Alice snorted seeing Kiya's smirk, which quickly dropped away.

"No, no, no, I was just thinking, this is the second quill injury I've treated in as many minutes." Kiya stated evenly, "The other one was lodged in another patient's ankle I've only just minutes ago removed."

Alice and Sammy looked at each other puzzled.

"Someone else got poked too?" Sammy asked a little worried. She looked up at Alice, "You don't suppose there are more of those little buggers running around the ship, do you?"

"I would say hedgehogs aren't common, period. And I never thought I'de see one on the Pretoria, that's for certain." Alice said with conviction.

"Hedgehogs? There's a hedgehog? You guys have found a hedgehog? Where?" Kiya fired the questions off like a gattling gun, a childlike look of wonder in her eyes. "Where is it? I need to see it please, it's probably hungry, and it might possibly be dehydrated too. Have you fed or watered it yet?"

Sammy and Alice just looked at each other dumbfounded. Neither one of them had thought about food or water for the prickly little invader, just how much he could owwie!

"It's... in my trashcan." Alice said a little muted, realising too late that this might not be the answer the doctor had in mind. And she was right. Alice winced as the explosion began to errupt before her eyes.

"Your TRASHCAN!"

Both of them tried to shush the doctor quickly. It was obvious Kiya was an animal lover and a trashcan just wasn't any kind of acceptable home for a hedgehog, uncommon or otherwise. Kiya quietly fumed, having been shushed buy them both, and still no answers to suit her.

"Ok, please take me wherever he is." she said with a little more calm, "They aren't hard to keep but they do have needs." Kiya grabbed up some items, stuffing them into a medkit and stood up, obviously in a rush to go see the little monster.

"Well?" Kiya said all too deeply, "What are we waiting for? Let's go see my littlest patient, please." And she took off for sickbay's doors without further adieu.

Alice and Sammy shrugged in unison and followed. Apparantly Sam's finger could wait a few.

In a quiet and empty sickbay, Sabaqwa muttered disconnectedly in his sedative-blurred sleep, "H-hedgehog...? Pray tell what's a bloomin' hedgehog...?"

07:29 hours

Commander Alice Brangwin - Her quarters

Kiya 'rescued' the little hedgehog from Alice's trashcan. The little guy scared and rolled up in a ball in the Apache doctor's hands. Alice brought drinks for her guests, orange juice with bits of fruit in it.

Sammy seems fascinated by the ball of spikes. Alice guessed she was thinking of keeping the cute little thing if she could.

Kiya looked around Stryker and Alice's quarters. She's never been in it. Stryker's unique biology required larger quarters. To the left was a pool for Stryker, waist deep, beach sand and five tropical trees, barely a meter tall.

The living room was decorated in soft shades of yellow and orange. Along one of walls was a large glass display case containing several uniforms. A Starfleet uniform from the 22nd century, a pair from the 23rd and mid-24th centuries. Another uniform were showcased next to the Starfleet ones. A pilot's uniform flanked by a number of pictures of cheering humans and a white needle-nose airplane with swept-back wings in flight. A bronze plaque hung below one of the pictures, from a distance was able to a read about half of the text,  
100th ... ... the Avro Arrow  
October 4th, 2057

Next to these, samurai armor hang with its matching weaponry. Kiya examined the katana closely. Cloud-like formations floated along its temper line, where steel once was plunged into a trough of water. Swirls and crystals, ripples and grain had left fingerprints along the blade. "How old is this ?" the doctor asked.

"It's from the Haida era. 1143 AD."

As they sat and talked, Alice's pet, a Jonaya, domesticated animal from Betazed, similiar to a koala bear approached them. The small bear-like, tree-dwelling, herbivorous marsupial is vaguely 20 lb in weight. It's fur thick and ash grey with a tinge of brown in places.

Alice smiled gently, then looked down as Peek-a-boo climbed onto her lap. Apparently she wasn't paying him enough attention. "Greedy pest," she chuckled, rubbing his back.

Aboard the Nal Phess

"Ascendant, move us to within one measure of the Incursion"

The Gahenn Val ship slipped, unseen, unsensed, to within half a kilometre of the Pretoria. All those aboard the Nal Phess awaited the next stage of Encounter with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Things had sometimes gone badly in the past, during such situations, but the rewards could be...immense.

Kel'N'agh spoke a single word, "Release!".

In front of each crewmember, half-way between their head and chest, motes of scintilating light came into being. They moved around an unseen central locus - tiny, bright, stars precessing around the heart of hidden core. More and more of the light-points sprang to life, and within a minute, so many were present that they described an opaque, apple-sized, sphere of glowing energy.

The crew of the Nal Phess appeared to be asleep, but they were not. This procedure was best carried out in a state of deep relaxation.

Kel'N'agh's eyes fluttered open, and it stared hard at the projected image of the Pretoria. A smile flit across its thin face.

"Let us introduce ourselves", it said.

As one, the living globes of light moved out from the Gahenn Vall ship. Moments later, the small, incandesent spheres, slipped unhindered through the Pretoria's hull.

Kel'N'agh was still staring at the image in front of it, but it's mind now saw with the senses of it's Aspect. A creature came into view, and, as the Aspect moved towards it, Kel'N'agh whispered silent greetings.

Encounter began.

13:52 hours

Rakurai Stryker - Ready Room

The last seven hours felt strange for the Edenian. The captain had a strong feeling the rumour mill on the Pretoria spinning, especially where most of the ships' civilians and officers meet on any given day: Dot's Diner.

Stryker took Alice's good news pretty well. He was nominally freaked out but kept up a brave front. His mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of babies and children.

Commander Khetrha called him to the bridge. It seemed the ship's science department was going to have a field way on whatever it on the 10th planet in this system. "What is all the fuss about this planet ? And where is Lt. Krone ?" he asked the Bajoran/Human Cadet, Kira Tierney.

"He is in Science class, I mean lab, C-C-Captain." the woman stuttered.

Stryker got annoyed, Cadet Tierney always went off like this when Khetrha or Stryker goes near her. He tapped his combadge, "Stryker to Krone."

Sickbay

Kiya had asked Alice and Sammy's permission to take the little hedgehog to sickbay for examinations. And the wee little guy did need them, but she also just dearly missed hedgehogs. She raised the little fellow up to her face and smiled like a kid, the hedgehog's nose wriggling and sniffing avidly, getting her scent.

"Well, you seem to be fit as a fiddle, though I don't know how since no one seems to have been taking care of you."

The little hedgehog trilled softly then nuzzled her hand seeking something, his tiny whiskers tickling her palm. Kiya grinned even wider and went to the replicator, ordering up a custom feed for the prickly litte heart-stealer.

She sat the small bowl of feed down in the box she had made for him, complete with a little comfy hut just for him to hide in. There was a dripper water bottle hanging on the side and a little litter box. She was greatly relieved to know she still had her touch with hedgehogs, he'd taken to the new home with avid playfulness, even stopping to play with the toy ball she'd placed in there for him. Kiya gave him a soft snuggle and gently placed him beside his bowl of feed. It took only seconds for the young hedgehog to find his food and began eating with abandon.

"Well now, you just enjoy yourself there little guy while I go check some things."

She took one look back towards the box before she walked off to begin her rounds, still smiling like a kid.

"Kiya?" the unexpected voice startled Kiya for an instant.

"Sabaqwa! Aaaaaah!" She grabbed the sides of her head as if staving off a mild scream, she merely squeaked instead, scream diffused. "I never heard you get up, or walk! How did you do that?" she waved her arms for a second, laughing in mock frustration.

Sab merely smiled and pulled up a foot for her to see, pointing at the very thick blue black pads on his toes and feet. All he could do was grin.

She facepalmed herself and shook her head giggling, "I shoulda' known, feline feet. You could sneak up a butterfly if you wanted to."

"So, what have you in the box over there? You have me all too curious!"

Sabaqwa smiled hugely having no idea this was the character responsible for his terrible night, and all but ran to go see what she had hidden in the box. Kiya tried running to stop him, but she was too late, he was already squatting beside the box, smiling and giggling in his trilly Quadarinian way.

"He pokes with those spines, please be careful, Sab." she squeaked, over-worried for some strange reason, jogging over just in time to see him playfully nuzzle the cheek of the hedhog who suddenly startled and rolled into a ball.

"OWW!" the little stickery thing had trapped his finger inside it's balled up form and Sab was too shocked to mutter a word, mouth and eyes wide open in shock.

Kiya very gently craddled the tiny quillball and spoke softly to it, trying to calm it, tears forming in Sabaqwa's wide eyes, still unable to mutter a sound. Soon the little nose wriggles out and smell's Kiya's hand. Only then does the little bugger relax it's spikey grip on Sabaqwa's pincushioned fingertip.

Sab pulls his finger away quickly and promptly inserts the stinging digit into his mouth. Kiya could swear he was pouting.

After calming the little hedgehog and replacing the trilling little monster to it's box, she slides over to see about Sabaqwa's finger, taking it very gently from his mouth. She smiles when there is a little 'pop' sound as his finger comes free of his lips reluctantly.

"You know, they do startle very quickly Sabaqwa... you should never do anything with a hedgehog suddenly... or this can happen." she holds up his finger as for demonstration.

Sabaqwa's bottom lips began to quiver.

Soon, Kiya had the pain, swelling and sterilization taken care of and was making sure there were no other wounds she might have missed. All Sabaqwa could do was just sit there, watching her carefully and letting her tend to him.

She never even realised he was too smitten to speak right then.

"Kiya?"

"Yes Sabaqwa?"

"What ...was that, creature?"

"A hedgehog."

"Why did that ...hedgehog... do that? All i did was snuggle."

Kiya held his finger for a second smiling at him, "Well like you, my friend, he startles easily and reacts to protect himself. He simply doesn't know your scent yet, and he didn't have a chance to get to know your scent and your manner well before you touched him. Hedgehogs don't see well at all, they go by scent mostly."

Kiya replaced his hand to his lap and smiled up at him, "Next time just leave your hand in there for a bit so he can smell you, and I'll make sure you have mealworms to feed him, that should make friends pretty quickly. I'm sorry he poked you."

Sabaqwa didn't say a word but suddenly gave Kiya a hug, and stood up to go to the doors of sickbay. He stopped and turned back to look at her.

"Thank you Kiya, you are a wonderful and gentle friend. Come visit Dot's if you feel like it later. So long." And he turned and left quietly.

Kiya sat there a moment just thinking. But that didn't last long before the little hedghog began rustling around and making cute little popping sounds, happy and playing in it's box, stealing her attention and her thoughts all at once.

She smiled and stood up, stretching like a lazy cat, and yawning.

"Welp," her arms slapped to her sides, a happy, tired look on her face, "Rounds are awaiting me. Goodbye little monster."

The small hedgehog put it's paws up on the insides of the box and stood up. He happily trilled as she left, quickly going back to his playful exploration of his new home.

14:06 hours

Rakurai Stryker - Bridge

Captain's Log, Supplemental: The Pretoria is in high orbit around the tenth planet. We have indeed found the odd energy readings that the freight had detected. This planet itself is somewhat remarkable, the atmosphere is rich in methane.

We found a number of towns and cities, enough for a population of one million planetwide, but dwellings have been abanded. The technology level is comparable to medevil Earth. The question is, why is this planet's population completely disappear ?

16:50 hours

Captain Stryker took unusual interest in the science team's exploration of a huge alien artifact. The entire awayteam was beamed down, dressed in enviroment suits.

The reactor in front of Stryker, Krone and his science team was beautiful. It was made of shell and crystal, a majestic, scintillating structure that reflected the light from the fire that consumed it in beautiful, kaleidoscopic patterns that had a quasi-hypnotic quality.

Lt. Krone looked quite happy, studying this object. "Captain. This is amazing. We found two of those on this planet. This one by itself can create alot more energy than 200 of our most powerful warpcores can produce. Permission to beam down more teams, sir ?"

"Granted." Stryker said. "What else have you found so far, Lt. ?"

"Mosquitos."

"What?" Stryker turned his head to Krone.

Krone slapped his forearm harshly, trying to kill a biting insect. "Mosquitos, sir. Well, the type that are native to this Planet at least."

"I meant about the Alien Artifact." Stryker crossed his arms expectantly.

"Oh right." Krone lifted his Tricorder and continued reading. "It appears to be breathing oxygen in some way."

"How strange."

Just then more Science Teams beamed down and began setting up computers for extensive research on the Power Source.

Krone walked over to his men and suddenly ran into Zetachi.  
"Oh! So you're on this mission too I see," Zetachi said annoyed.  
"I'm in Command of the whole Science Department. Of course I'm on this mission too!"  
"Yeah right. You just thought you could show off the fact you don't like me!"  
"Alright that is it. I will not tolerate this anymore. You will appreciate and understand that I have nothing against you personally, or you will be thrown in the Brig!" Krone replied.  
"Ahh!"  
"There, now get back to work."  
A smile crept up on Zetachi's face. "Really sir? You really mean it? You do like me?" He placed his hand on Krone's hand.  
"If you touch me again I will break your arm in two," Krone growled in anger.  
"Oh Krone! That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me! Thank you!" Zetach then turned and went stright to work. This time he would put all his effort into it to impress his commanding officer.

"Argghh!" Krone went over to continue scanning the giant Power Source. "Where was I? Oh yes. This is truly amazing!" But thoughts of how annoying Zetachi was continued to ruin his excitement for this giant Power Source. "Stupid Zetachi! He has ruined my excitement."  
Stryker then walked over to look upon Krone's Tricorder, "Forget the excitement. Let's analyse these readings on the ship's computer."  
"Yes, Captian."

Alice Brangwin - Sammy's Quarters

In the four months that passed since the Exeter's destruction, and Alice coming to the Pretoria, she had gained a best friend in Sammy, had fallen victim to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a brief coma. Just an hour after Kiya saved her life, and Sammy for there for support, Tiko Black Wolf was attacked by Trite parasites and would have died if he was not put into cryogenic statis.

But being in statis means Tiko was practically dead inanyways. Sammy died on the inside that day. As did a part of Alice. She needed the happy little Scottish woman.

Alice had become reckless in a result, twice leaving the Pretoria and landing herself in extreme danger. Alice worked hard to please her "shrinks", she wanted her sanity proved to them, her worth restored, and to be recommissioned of an Starfleet officer.

Now Alice found herself standing at life's crossroads, 2 weeks pregnant, and Sammy is back. Sammy was not quite her usual self, and Alice detected something odd about Sammy, but shrugged it off, just glad to have her best friend again.

All these thoughts blitzed through Alice's mind as she entered Sammy's quarters holding a canvas covered by a blanket. Alice set up the canvas and revealed the painting she made of Sammy.

Sammy and Alice, in Sammy's Quarters

Alice seemed so happy as Sammy let her in, they exchanged a short moment of greetings, then Alice held up the thing she'd carried in, removed the blanket covering it revealing a beautiful painting on canvas.

"What do think ?" Alice asked, smiling.

Sammy clasped her hands over her mouth, wide eyed and exhilliarated. She giggled finally, as was her custom, and began jigging in place, soon to be a mistake.

"It's me! Oh, Alice, it's beautiful! However did you do that? It's wonderful!" Sammy's smile and true happy nature seemed to have returned.

Sammy had just given Alice a huge hug, then had stood back to really look at Alice's work. And it wasn't long before she was jigging, totally unable to be still, when she suddenly doubled over in sharp pain, her arms folded tightly around her lower abdomen, her face racked with anguish and fear.

"Sam!" Alice rushed to her but Sammy wasn't able to respond, her breath was taken by the sharp pain. Alice held Sammy's arms and guided her to the floor as gently as possible, the girl's face having turned white and a slight discolouration to her lips. Alice went into business mode.

"Commander Alice Brangwin to Sickbay. Medical emergency!"

Sammy was trying to tell Alice something but her breath was still faint and she was getting more pale by the minute. Sammy was shaking her head trying to stop whatever Alice was planning on doing, when the voice of CMO Kiya Black Wolf interrupted in a clear strident bark.

"Sickbay, what is your emergency Commander?"

"Doctor, Sammy's quarters, request emergency medical transport. No time to explain."

Alice's instincts had told her something wasn't right about Sammy recently, this only proved it. And she wasn't going to chance loosing another friend, not on her watch.

"Granted, EMT activated, standby." Kiya too had gone into business mode.

In an instant, Sammy's quarters disappeared and the glimmer of the transporter effect shifted them from the darker lighting of Sam's quarters to that of a brightly light Sickbay. The feeling slightly nauseating Sammy who struggled with herself during the short seconds of the transport. Immediately, Sammy and Alice were surrounded by Kiya, Demi and three other medtechs geared for anything.

Alice tried to help them move Sammy, but one stern but polite look from Kiya told her this was no longer a thing she needed to intervene in, and especially in her condition. In seconds, Alice was left behind to watch the speed and efficiency of the medical crew, as Sammy was laid down on a biobed, her face even whiter than before and her eyes fluttering trying to close. It was very obvious she was still in considerable pain.

Kiya began a scan, immediatly ordering pain reducers and other tests as she leaned over Sammy, speaking in very soft tones. Sammy shook her head slowly from side to side, tears trying to crest in the corners of her eyes, her expression that of terror and anguish. That look that had haunted Sammy's face for so many weeks had returned, and it made something twist in Alice's heart.

Alice knew better than to interrupt, things looked very serious. But everything in her that loved her dearest friend, screamed to go to her now, to see for herself how Sammy was. Alice fummed, and that was not good on her, she felt small jerking movements in her abdomen. This stress wasn't good for her pregnancy at all. She sighed and turned to go into Kiya's office, her hand instinctively covering her belly.

After a while, the turmoil seemed to have dissipated. Alice could see that Sammy was covered in a blanket and peacefully asleep, only one medtech monitoring her now, entering more information into his PADD. Kiya was on her way to the office.

"Well? How is she? What is wrong?" Alice all but yelled her words at Kiya as she entered her office. Kiya looked very stern and a little too tired, the physicals and medical scans for all the away teams on this mission had a telling wear and tear on the doctor. Kiya sat down behind her desk, grabbed her PADD and steno and began entering information quickly, still the stern look on her face.

"Doctor, I need to know! What the hell is wrong with Sam?" Alice's hands were in tight balls.

Kiya stopped her records, an eyebrow raised in consideration and looked up at Alice without moving her head an inch, her expression unchanged.

"You do understand medical oath requires me to maintain patient confidentiality in these matters, do you not Commander?"

Alice tried to jump up, but her changing body made her advance much less the dramatic lunge she'd intended, and more of a quick slide to the edge of her seat.

"As I recall ...doctor, I outrank you." The tone in Alice's voice was feral and dead serious.

The silence that followed was deafening. For a few moments the two just looked at each other, neither flinching. Finally, Kiya slowly lowered her PADD to the desk and sighed softy, never letting her eyes leave Alice.

"Commander Brangwin, indeed you do outrank me, but Starfleet medical oath gives regard for patient confidentiality and is not subject to certain strictures... Now, need I take up patient confidentiality with the Captain? Or will you accept the statement I may give you, if you will allow me the chance to?"

Alice sat back a little, the anger in her eyes only slightly dampened. She nodded once, obviously still too angry to speak. If looks could kill, Kiya would have been one dead Apache. Kiya merely kept her static stern expression without wavering one inch and leaned back slightly in her chair, mirroring Alice's stance.

"Miss McIvers is stable. She will be staying overnight for observation. And we have a full staff available to handle any changes in her condition. I will be filling a report to the Captain in the morning." With that she fell as silent as the voids of space.

"That is all you are going to tell me, doctor?" Alice growled the words, barely containing her rage.

Kiya stood and walked to her office door, turning to offer it's services to Commander Brangwin with a small sweep of the hand.

"Commander, there is a patient in there that needs my full attention. My posturing with you over patient's rights to privacy is not helping me do my job. If you trully care for her as much as I think you do, you will please leave for now, allow yourself and Sammy the chance to calm down and rest. Please."

The look in Kiya's face had softened slightly. She did not like locking horns with Alice this way, but when it came to the management of her patients, she was as immovable as a Monument Valley mesa.

Alice started to breeze by, the anger wafting from her like tendrils of heat. Kiya hooked her elbow with a finger before she could bolt out. Alice stopped and without looking at Kiya, whispered far too quietly.

"You have something else to say doctor?

Kiya sighed, 'that damned protective maternal fire is hotter than solar flares!', Kiya thought ruefully to herself.

"Alice, she will be fine. Some of her problem is she has not been eating right, that threw off her entire metabolism. That's all I can say, she requested I do not reveal my findings to anyone. And by law, with that request, I may not. I am sorry."

Alice looked at Kiya with an expression she'd never seen on her red headed friend's face.

"Kiya... I'm sorry.. it's just that." Kiya interupted her, her hand on Alice's shoulder.

"Shush, no worries. You go sleep or rest, doctor's orders." She smiled for the first time in about an hour, "Besides, any good doctor knows that the fire of a protective mom is worse than ten charging grizzlies in a death battle. She'll be fine, we're fine, now go rest yourself. We don't want to upset things worse, ok?"

Alice nodded and smiled a soft smile, sorrow still in her eyes, and left for Sickbay's doors. But she didnt leave until she stopped to watch Kiya going over to check Sammy, who still seemed to be sleeping.

Kiya pulled the curtain around the biobed and Alice felt trully shut out, but not by the doctor.

'whatever is wrong with you Sammy girl!'


	3. Part 3

Sickbay

Kiya was busy with medical reports at her desk. There were tons of them to file when more of the away teams came in to Sickbay for post away mission scans and full checkups. Her hands were in her hair craddling her head in obvious lack of sleep, she'd been up all night with Sammy and the needed checkups. This was the third night she'd been up all night to keep up with the constant flow of away mission members who were coming in to be scanned and passed for duty again. And the lack of rest was pulling her down hard, despite the stimulants she was taking to keep going.

She arose and met Lt. Krone who was still in his environment suit, fresh from the planet, as was all the others who had come in.

"Doc? You don't look yourself." Krone said, a look of apalled shock on his face. He'd never seen Kiya this exhausted before.

"Neh, I'll be ok, I just need to pace myself." Kiya steadied herself on the biobed nearby, her legs trying to force her down despite her resolve. Krone could see she was shaking and tying to hide it. And her skin was pale and coated in cold sweat and her eyes were dilated, the effects of abusing the stimulants for three days straight.

Krone caught Demi's eye and covertly motioned her over. Demi already sensed what was going on by Kiya's posture and lack of attention. She quickly noted her full condition and tried to encourage Kiya to her quarters for a long needed rest. But the doctor stubbornly refused, verging on anger when Krone tried to agree that she needed rest.

"Who are you? Are you the doctor here, Krone? I don't think so!" Kiya blurted out.

"Kiya! What..? I'm just worried, you need rest, like all of us." Krone tried to tell her, but the anger and tiredness in her was destroying her perceptions.

Demi covertly scanned the CMO, immediatly proving what she suspected, that this was a dangerous situation for Kiya; the stimulants had already begun to erode her synaptic responses by 58.2 and her red bloodcell count was decreasing by the minute, her bloodstream flooding with white bloodcells. And her blood pressure was elevated by 46 and rising, heart rate rapid and faint and Demi could visibly see Kiya's color changing to a bluish white, if she didn't do something quickly, the good doctor would be dead with a heart attack.

"Doctor, sit here, you are not able to continue." Demi stated in a very no nonsense tone, one which made Krone pale slightly, he'd never seen anything like this before.

Kiya tried to protest, but her legs gave away beneath her, she crumpled to the floor gripping her chest, she looked nauseous.

In the moments that followed, several more medtechs, nurses and Demi took control of the situation, a cloud of activity that took on a life of it's own as proffesional medicine operated. Terms that Krone could not decipher, readings, even an entire language he had never learned was being used as the team members spoke in stilted quick tones and shortened codes.

He supposed that in dire emergencies there just wasn't time for full sentences and complete terms and words. He sighed and walked away to sit down on a wall bench, and watched the mezmerizing actions speed by.

Kiya's heart attack was stopped from doing more damage than it could have, but some damage was there. For several hours, Demi kept a close watch on Kiya, closely monitoring her, making adjustments to the regenerative programs and keeping precise records. All the while Demi chided herself for not catching this sooner. She'd mentioned to Kiya several times that she needed to go ahead and end her shift, to rest. Afterall, Demi was the emergency medical hologram. She actually could go for days without rest, Kiya couldn't.

Sickbay, late night

Twelve hours later, Demi came back to check on Kiya. Sammy had already been released and was in her quarters hours ago. Now all Demi had to do was make sure the CMO was healthy enough to be released to her quarters for a mandatory recuperation period.

Demi's checks revealed the doctor was testing normally, her sleep natural and no longer induced. All the while, she'd been keeping Captian Stryker apprised of Kiya's condition and they had agreed it was time for the doctor to be released to her quarters with medication for her recouperation period.

Demi roused Kiya. With gentle prodding, the doctor still not quite up to her normal par, she released Kiya to her quarters for her time of rest. It wasn't easy to let her go, as Demi knew Kiya's tricks. But Demi also knew that human pshychology enough to realise this experience had struck home with Kiya. Kiya left Sickbay for her quarters, muted and still somewhat tired.

22:56 hours. Late night

Captain Rakurai Stryker - Bridge

Stryker has been hovering over the science department's shoulders, as they studied the planet below. He'd been putting pressure on Lt. Krone. Krone and Stryker contacted the Trill Science Council, who agreed to send a dedication science vessel to the system in order to speed up analysis.

When Stryker got the call from Demi, on Kiya's condition he immediately headed on the privacy of his ready room. The EMH, Demi's voice continued, "Captain. She had a heart attack."

"Yes." Stryker said grimly. "We supected she's been working too hard, pushing herself. I told you, unless you find a solution in a few days' time, I want her off my ship."

"Yes Sir. You did. You have to understand humans -" Demi said, Stryker cut her off.

"I don't care. I need capable officers. Not one using enough stims to kill off an elephant." Stryker blasted Demi.

"She is capable Captain. I just need your permission to proceed on my proposed plan."

"Then do it."

"Aye sir." Demi replied. "Sickbay out."

Stryker stepped on to the bridge again and turned to the Mahri XO. "You have the bridge, Commander."

He headed to the turbolift, and to Alice.

CMO Black Wolf's Quarters

The exhausted doctor walked into her quarters feeling drained despite all the rest Demi had made sure she'd had. Even with the medications, she still had an odd sensation in her chest, her hand instinctively covered that area, and she slumped against the wall, fatigue still present and accounted for.

Kiya sighed deeply, a deep tiredness creeping over her, she crouched down on her couch and layed back, nestling in between her navaho blanket pillows. Somehow, their soft texture always made her feel a little closer to home, a comfort she needed right now.

Something was pulling her attention from across the room. It wasn't anything moving, just a feeling. Her sleepy eyes searched and finally centered on the thing that had been trying to get her attention. The shelf with her kachina collection.

Each statue sitting on a rabbit hide, each kachina with it's own special story, it's own special meaning, each one a special guardian in her life. Each one had been a gift to Kiya, and those who had given them to her were too far away to help right now. She tried not to let her emotions get the best of her, but somehow a small tear was peeping from the corner of her eye. She dashed it away in frustration, even her brother Tiko wasn't here to torment her, and that void was worse than ever.

She rolled to her side, burrowing deeper into the couch, closing her eyes and turning her back on her special guardians sitting on the wallshelf. But as she did, her heart began to thump harder. Her eyes popped open wide and she could almost swear she heard the thundering beat of her family's enormous tribal drums, rythmically pounding out in time to her heartbeat, and accompanying a medicine chant much older than Starfleet's origins.

Kiya rolled back over, the wallshelf was still there, the kachinas were still there, but she could not take her eyes off of them. She knew the old ways were not far from her, especially in times like this. And especially if she didn't want them to be. The ancestors never let her forget her true nature and legacy. She was Apache, born and bred, and from a line of honored healers and warriors. She was never to run from an enemy, and right now, she was her own worst enemy, forcing herself to work far beyond her abilities. Forcing herself to run away.

And she'd previously been drinking far too much, punishing herself for letting Tiko fall victim to the trite parasites. Now Sammy. She kicked herself for not realising her warning signs before now, the girl had come far too close to loosing... loosing Kiya's newest relatives.

Time and time again, Kiya seemed to be failing her very own family and close friends. And her drinking was her way of punishing herself, as well as the hard work she put herself through. All was her attempts to make some kind of restitution for what she'd failed at, and who she had failed. She was her own worst enemy and also her hardest punisher. And all of it was killing her, figuratively and literally.

Kiya closed her eyes again, but the drumming became louder in her mind. Kiya's exhaustion was fighting her hard, making her weak and unable to move. She tried to tell herself it was her fatigue, the spoils of a heart attack, still forcing her to her knees. But she knew better... heart attacks did not come with medicine chants and the beat of a tribal drum.

She forced herself to look at the kachinas on the shelf. They seemed vibrantly coloured, much more than in real life. She could smell the smoke of a fire, the chants of all her realtives as she would have heard it during a healing ceremony so long ago. The room seemed to become dark, a wormhole of light emanating from the kachinas who were calling to her.

She sat up and began to name them, one by one, weak and barely able to talk, her head was beading in profuse sweat, and her heartbeats were jolting her chest like fists pounding against it. Her Spirit Walk had begun...

"Apache Mountain God, protector of the Apache tribe in time of war, my coming of age guardian. Badger, you cure the sick, you pray for the growth of healing herbs. Bear, you have great power to cure the sick. Buffalo, powerful among all kachinas, you can kill evil thoughts, my great spiritual protector. Butterfly, you represent the butterfly that lands on flowers, the medicine man then uses the flowers you bless in his medications. Chasing Star, you are the plants and the stars. You resurrect those who have fallen from the sky, lifting them back to the stars. Left-Hand, you who does everything reversed. Lizard, the fighter, you who brings Sweethearts together. Medicine Man, you are my mentor, you mix the herbs and roots, and give advice, and cure the sick. Owl, you who are the essence of the elders passed on to the bossom of Father Sky, the advisor who brings intelligence and wisdom back to us. Rainbow, blessed bringer of peace and harmony among all tribes. Sunface, you give warmth, shelter for the old, assures our bright future, and playful spirits for the young. And Wolf Warrior, you are my brother, you assure everyone of adequate food for the winter. I give thanks to you all, and ask for your guidance."

What Kiya experienced after this was lost in her dreams. Dreams that she would never speak of to a living soul, as they were sacred and for only her.

That night, while she slept, she walked with her Spirit Guides, her Kachina spirits talking words of wisdom and assurance to her. A few even speaking hard words of discipline to her as she had fallen to her own understanding in her recent months, instead of seeking higher wisdom brought through the ages long before her.

In her dreams, she was a child again, sitting in the circle of life with her predecessors and learning what she had forgotten, what she often turned from and shouldn't have.

That night Demi released sleeping gas into her quarters upon the Captain's approval. But that was not done until after she was long asleep in her deep Spirit Walk with the Elders.

Captain Rakurai Stryker - His quarters, Living Room

Alice was furious. Pacing up and down in the living room, her husband's eyes following her every move.

If her body was capable of projecting quills when upset, I'd be a pincushion., Stryker thought.

She spun around to face him. "Not everything is about you, honey."

"Maybe it should be."

She flexed her hand as to throttle him when she saw a twinkle of amusement is his eyes. She laughed before she even knew she going to. "Okay, now you are screwing with my head."

"A little." he admitted.

"You're the most frustrusting man I've ever met."

He chuckled, Alice got angrier. "This is no laughing matter." Alice said, her lips pulled so tight they looked like a rubberband stretched to its limit. "I don't think it is possible for me to be angerier than I already am."

At which point, the lights went out. "I stand corrected." she said in the darkness.

He knew something out of the ordinary was going on, tapped his combadge. / "Stryker to Bridge. Report."

"We lost all power sir." Ensign Liz Archer reported. "Emergency power is engaged ... Engineering just reported the warp cores were knocked offline. Restart sequence in progress, Warp drive will be availble in 2 to 3 hours."

Then, normal lights came on again. / "Red alert."

Stryker kissed Alice, said "Sorry Love. Got to go."

On the bridge.  
"The turbolift doors to almost open, when Stryker started barking orders, "REPORT."

The 8 foot tall Mahri was pacing the bridge, half jumping, running or floating, making everyone as nervous as hell. "Captain. Reports of Mysterious lights appearing throughout the ship. The circles of light, the size of a tennis ball, seem to be orbiting the Pretoria's  
warp cores."

"Any analysis yet ?" Stryker asked Lt. Krone as he walked up to the science consoles, "None sir. Except their speed, these things move slowly, as fast as a person walking."

Just then, one of the balls of light appeared, drifting through the viewscreen like it did not exist.

Security officer, Ensign Rachel Skarsten lifted her hand in front of the ball of energy/light. It passed through her hand, then suddenly become as big as she is. It attacked Rachael via what Stryker guessed was a ball of energy shaped like a hand or a foot.

Rachel Skarsten was wounded, trauma to the head, dizzy from a weird physical attack of some kind, she had a pissed off expression on her face, when her captain tried to defend her instead of her defending him, the way it should be.

The plasma ball injuried Stryker the same way it attacked Rachel.

In the chaos that followed, Commander Khethra had them beamed directly to sickbay.

Cryo statis Room

Demi hovered over Lt. Thomas 'Tiko' Black Wolf, still in a cryo statis chamber, but not far from all her research in a day. Being the emergency medical hologram, she never slept, never ceased, except for routing checkups and program analysis.

She'd been pouring alot of her time into researching the old findings of a Japanese scientist by the name of Kunihiko Maeda trying to end the trite virus's hold on Tiko. And she thinks she has found something promising, when the call came from the Bridge. Commander Khetrha was transporting two injured her way, Ensign Rachel Skarsten and Captain Stryker.

Demi transferred herself to sickbay, appearing there 500 nanoseconds later.

A few seconds later, the two forms materialized in Sickbay, and Demi and the other medical staff transfered them to biobeds and they began to run scans for injuries.

"Sickbay to Bridge." Demi called, straightening up after she was satisfied.

"Bridge here." Commander Khetrha drolled in a monotone voice. "What is the Captain and the Ensign Skarsten's status?"

"Stable, only knocked out. The readings are consistent with that of a stunner's blast. No damage Commander. They should be coming around shortly."

"Aknowledged. Alert me when they are awake."

"Aknowledged, Sickbay out."

"Bridge out." and the link went silent.

Demi stood there a moment pondering what all she'd been researching... the cure for Tiko seemed so simple if she could only figure out one little thing.

She walked into the office to continue her research while the medtechs monitored the Captain and Ensign Skarsten.

Back in the Cryo Statis Room

Demi poured over some new information streaming into her console. She read it to herself as the words sped across the screen at incredible speed.

"KUNIHIKO MAEDA: A twenty first century earth scientist who resided in the pharmaceutical department at Okinawa University in Japan."

She scrolled through the notes reading that he was a very competent scientist, completely indifferent to everything else. He'd often been guilty of not returning home for days once he was fatally engrossed in his research. Maeda's wife was in a horrible car crash, in a coma and dying. The scienist tried to culture her liver cells in order to keep her alive. The scientist named those calls ... EVE. Her liver cells multiplied and her mitochondria eventually saved her life.

Demi spent the next few hours putting together all her information. She is nearly certain she can pull this off with Tiko if she can just find someone who has Tiko's HLA type.

Two hours pass, Demi having run the scenarios through the computer medical simulator for the 898th time, she seemed very confident this will work. Of the 898 simulated tests, only three failed. Tiko has an almost incredible chance at recovery.

Demi ran a quick database check, of the dizzying millions of HLA types available on the Pretoria and 19 other Starfleet vessels within hailing distance, only three individuals had a close match to Tiko's HLA type. And one was present on the Pretoria at this time, Alice Sharon Brangwin.

Demi leans back in the chair and decides to run the simulation test just one more time, this time with Alice's HLA type just to be certain.

After an hour of further tests, she came up with the same ratio of failure. It was decided, Thomas Black Wolf had little to loose, Demi called Alice into Sickbay.

Hidden in the darkness of space, the Gahenn Val ship was all but invisible. Its hull, the deepest black. It sat, unseen, in the stillness of eternity.

The lights of the Command controls reflected badly on Kel'N'agh, and his pallid complexion, and his life.

And then a small 'something' moved into the Gahenn Val's sphere of interest. The Pretoria

The doctor and Alice were going through a difficult time, but this was unknown and uncared for, by the Primus of the Nal Phess, - an 'Assault Class' vessel.

As the Pretoria came into resolution, the Primus spoke, these words:

"Ascendent, what is the incursion within our sense? Identify."

The young crewmember reacted instantly, its stick-like fingers danced around on the sensor console.

"Primus, it is a new encounter"

Kel'N'agh, the Primus, the captain, thought for a few moments,and then asked, "Ascendent, is it Variant?"

Ascendant Navigator Tax'ne, nervous and under pressure, paused before answering. His skin was turning different, subtle shades of blue and red; small patches of colour sprouting, unbidden, over his body

The Primus' patience was wearing thin.

"Answer, Ascendant. the incursions origin, Variant or Discrete?"

Ascendent Tax'ne's voice faltered, as it spoke the words, "Unknown, Primus"

The Primus admonished, Tax'ne: "Spend more time encountering, before you display your ignorance, Ascendent."

Hours passed, and then Ascendent Tax'ne announced, "I am determining Variant or Incursive properties." A few moments passed. "Primus, I have a definite variance in velocity and structure. This incursion represents a discrete article, I am informed it has propulsive and vectoral qualities - I suspect it is created by an intelligence"

Kel'N'agh looked at the young Ascendant with a tired soul, "You have upgraded this from 'Varient' to 'Incursion', to 'Discrete, is this correct?"

"Yes, Prime, I can now identify it as a, constructed artifact. It has no threat potential." Tax'ne sat back with a satisfied expression.

Kel'N'agh studied the situation for a long time and finally spoke.

"I think I will take a closer look", said Kel'N'agh.

Its pale, gaunt body shifted forward in the seat; an eager, predatory expression carved out the features of its face - and its intent.

Sickbay

The tall Andorian medtech finished her scans of Rachael and she moved on to the next bed as quietly and efficiently as possible. A medical tricorder passed over the unconscious Edenian, her steady movements only inches above his torso.

Without warning, his hand shot up, hitting her in the stomach. The steady-minded Andorian medtech flinched, but kept her equilibrium. She stood back up, her hands and the tricorder held quite still over her stomach, the only sign of pain she would reveal.

"Who are you ?" he asked in a dangerous tone.

The Andorian woman was confused and started to answer, when Demi came running over.

"Where am I? Why have you captured me ? I demand you release me. I am an officer of the Guardian Collective."

Captain Stryker had no memory of recent events, or even of his command. Demi stopped and collected her thoughts, understanding, a look of calm on her face.

In CMO Black Wolf's Quarters

The fog of images that had long since become faded and disconnected images and symbols, lifted from Kiya's conciousness slowly. Somehow, she sensed she was on her back, the soft pillows of her couch cushioning her cheek. She yawned and scrubbed slowly at her eyes, noting that the pain in her chest had ebbed to a barely noticable tingle when she touched that area. She frowned and rolled away from the soft caress of her pillows to sit up, trying to think, trying to orient herself.

Kiya feels well rested, but somehow disconnected. It puzzles her deeply. She rubs the back of her neck and swings her gaze over to her chrono on the wall. She looks away and closes her eyes as her neck is feeling better from just a small massage. Suddenly, her eyes pop wide open and she jerks her head back the way it came, not believing the time and date on the chrono's face.

"Twleve hours! I've been asleep twelve hours? That's impossible!"

She jumps up from the couch, grabs her medical blue lab coat, and springs for her door, grumbling audibly as she jogs to the nearest turbolift. As she jumps into the turbolift, she is still trying to wrestle on her labcoat, belatedly noticing one sleeve is inside out, she growls and reverses it as she barks her destination at the waiting computer.

"Sickbay, now!"

In her rush from her quarters, she never noticed the blinking message notice on her companel. Demi had tried to leave her a message, trying to explain her actions...

Back in Sickbay...

"Li'dieet, go have Hanson check you, I will take things from here. Afterall, there's little damage he can do to me."

The Andorian medtech nods gracefully and makes her way to the rear of Sickbay where her counterpart Lt. Hanson is running more cultures of the EVE cell Demi had cultured.

Demi returns her attention to the glowering Edenian Captain. She taps her combadge, "Sickbay to Bridge."

"Bridge." Commander Khetrha's voice is deeper than normal, a slight aggrivation present in her tone. Demi can hear the unmistakable grit of the Mahri Commander's fangs.

"Commander, Captain Stryker is awake. However, he is experiencing amnesia. He seems to have lost quite alot of recent memory. But from the readings we have, he should be able to regain his memories soon."

There was a long pause. For a moment Demi pondered if their comlink had been lost.

"Acknowledged Sickbay. I will inform Alice immediatly. Keep me aprised. Bridge out."

Captain Stryker had a deadly look in his eyes as he watched the medical hologram with terrible anger, his lips tight and thin over his teeth.

"I ask you again, who are you and where are you holding me? Why have I been captured? And I demand you release me, immediately. Or suffer the response of the Guardian Collective."

Corridors of Deck 7

Alice Brangwin ran like a woman possessed. Twice she plowed into someone who had the misfortune of being in her way; but they should have known better than to try and slow her down. She opened the door to Sickbay. The same room she visited just 20 minutes ago, when Demi took a blood sample from her.

The EMH, Demi straightened up as the doors opened and Alice stepped in.

"Iidasenai," Alice breathed, her heart pounding in her ears, her throat, everywhere except her chest. "Stryker!"

She ran forward, but Demi stepped out to stop her. "Alice, please! He's under enormous stress. Don't frighten him."

"I wouldn't couldn't!" she blurted, side-stepping the hologram and approaching Stryker who watched her with wide eyes.

"Stryker ?" she said gently, wrapping her arms around him. He tensed under her touch and drew away, confused. Her scent was familiar to him, he felt he knew her somehow.

"He has temporary amnesia." Demi explained. "It will last about 2 hours."

"What !" Alice asked, enraged, almost to the point where she wanted to grab Demi by the collar.

"It's quite normal." Demi said calmly, hoping Alice would calm down too. "Defense mechanism that kicks in following head trauma."

Her cool exterior was no where to be seen, frustrated, insanely angry and confused. / "Alice to Sammy. Get to sickbay please."

Captain Rakurai Stryker - Sickbay  
Rakurai Stryker in the meanwhile, looked around the room. He didn't recognize a single face in here. Five minutes ago, he tried to rip Demi apart. That of course that him nowhere, yet he fought Demi again.

The five medtechs tried cornering him, and poking him with hyposprays. He threw them around. Once again Demi tried to talk him into not attacking. Demi got too close to him. He then tried grabbing her by the neck, touched her chest when she punched him back with the power of a drugged out Klingon.

Since then, he tried to calm himself down. Wondering if the people around him was telling the truth, or if he was kidnapped by these strange people. All the species around him was totally alien to him. He figured he was proberly undercover, setting up another crime Syndicate to dismantle and destroy it when his assignment is over.

Why did the red haired alien woman call him by the most intimate word in his language though ?

Commander Reiko Korner - Bridge, USS Intrepid

The Intrepid dropped out of warp and approached the Pretoria. The young Commanding Officer, Reiko Korner looked at the Eclipse class ship.

"Damn. That thing is huge." he remarked in a thick Australian accent.

The Andorian XO, Emmer was amazed as well. "Tactical, report."

Lt. Murray Walker reported, "Pretoria's shields are up. Weapons on stand by, but not charged. Yellow Alert. Wait ... are they hailing us."

Commander Khetrha appeared on screen. / "Be adviced, we are experiencing ... anomalies. Seven crewmen including the captain has been injuried since these things appeared, ten minutes ago."

"Acknowledged Pretoria. We will hold postion within 20 kilometers. I guess we are still go beam up one of the two Artifacts ?"

Commander Khetrha shruged, and not really caring about the science value that these things below may hold. / "Hold you position. The transporter modifications on our end is almost complete. About 15 minutes. Pretoria out."

"Friendly, isnt she ?" Reiko said outloud.

Sammy McIvers Quarters

Something caught Sammy's eye as she walked from her bathroom. She shook her head and looked again, not sure if she'd seen the thing or not.

"You? What are you doing here little fellow?"

She peered at the tiny hedgehog and decided to kneel, getting herself a little lower to the creature. She smiled as she remembered the commotion the little prickly thing had caused not long ago, and the temper Kiya had displayed over it's being unceremoniously dumped into Alice's trash can. She offered her hand for it to smell.

"Well hello. No need to be afraid, no one is about to dump you in a trash can again. I promise."

A tiny pinkish nose peeked from under the bed's frame, wriggling and snuffling in all directions. Eventually, the little spine-covered form waddled out to greet her. He'd finally caught her scent, and remembered her friendly, warm pocket.

Sammy smiled a huge grin as the little hedgehog snuffled at her fingertips. He waddled and made happy little popping noises as he smelled of her hand and fingers. He trilled as he considering whether the smell of toast and jam on her fingers were something he might like to sample or not, and nuzzled into her hand.

"You are just the cutest thing I have ever seen." she giggled, unable to contain the need to laugh any more, his tiny whiskers tickling her delicately.

Sammy's comconsole bleeped to life, "Alice to Sammy. Get to sickbay please."

"What? What in the world is going on?" Sammy apologized to the tiny creature and placed it back under her bedframe. She quickly slipped to her feet, stepping as fast as she could to her door. Something in Alice's voice was wrong.

Sammy walked quickly to the turbolift, "Sickbay!" She was becoming very worried, somehow she knew something terribly wrong had happened. She'd never heard Alice sound so distraught before.

Sickbay

Captain Stryker sat on the edge of the biobed feeling very disoriented. Alice was sitting at his side, her arm around his waist protectively. He looked around at her and pondered, from her face he could see the worry and mess of emotions eating her up inside.

He could not fully remember what had happened, but he now could remember who she was. Even some of the faces in Sickbay were becoming familiar to him, though he still felt groggy from the sedatives the medical crew had shot him with. And there was this foggy picture in his mind of slugging someone very hard... Demi? His eyes went round with bafflement. Alice hugged him, bringing him back to the moment in a warm haze.

"I am sorry Heart, I did not intend to frighten you so." he looked at her softly, a mess of emotions within his own heart. He took her hand in his trying to make sense of himself, and not doing a very good job of it.

"It's alright my Heart. You were not yourself." Alice lays her head on his shoulder and sighs deeply.

At that moment, Sammy came brushing into Sickbay, she stopped and looked around for them, saw them and quickly came to Alice's side. Alice disengaged Stryker's waist long enough to hug her dearest friend. Then Sammy placed her had out to touch Stryker's shoulder. He stiffened and looked at her with surprise. Sammy stopped short, the look in his eyes akin to a frightened panther, and pulled her hand back to Alice's arm, looking up at her with great uncertainty.

"Who are you?" he said sharper than he intended, her face vaguely familiar.

"She's Sammy McIvers, Stryker... from Dot's Diner. You and her and I are all good friends." Alice looked at Sammy, a very pained look in her eyes.

At that moment, CMO Black Wolf came striding up. By the look in the woman's face, Stryker could see she was exceptionally angry, but keeping it in check. Just barely.

"How are we feeling Captain? Are you remembering any more of your surroundings?" despite her cool words, Alice could hear the doctor's teeth grit very tightly, the muscles of her jaw pulsing in taught jerks.

'ooh-oh, not good. wow!' Sammy thought to herself, swallowing audibly.

"I think alright doctor. Alice is familiar to me.. you in a way.."

"Good." she interrupted forcefully, "Alice, I'm releasing the Captain into your care. I have an EMH to try to coax back online, and several others to attend to."

Kiya slips her eyes off to the side making a mental note of each and every one of her medical personnel now needing various minor injuries corrected. Alice smiles a nervous and peeved grin. She knows the Apache is not far from blowing up. And definitely not amused that Demi is now hiding behind a level one diagnostic program in the computer. All of it a la Stryker in an amnesia-induced fist-swinging rage of Edenian defensive martial arts.

Kiya turns to walk away, then swings back around on Stryker. He can see her eyes have gone fully black. He swallows, suddenly remembering just what that means.

"Captain, I can fully appreciate the need to defend yourself when under the influence of amnesiatic disability. But I hope you never make the mistake of swinging on Demi or my medical staff again. Or me. This time it will not be added to your record. Next time I won't go as easy. Now if you will excuse me, I have a Sickbay to restore to order."

Kiya gives Alice a look to freeze molten lava and turns away striding off to her office. Alice knew what that look meant, 'keep him the bloody devil out of her way.'. And she suspected Kiya wasn't stomping off to her office to do that stack of reports, as much as it was to finally cool off. Something she knew wasn't going to happen any time soon if she didn't hurry up and get her husband far from Sickbay, and Kiya.

Alice joggles Stryker's arm, "C'mon slugger", she says playfully, "I think we better go."

A loud thundering whack is heard coming from Kiya Black Wolf's office, sending a few things falling to the floor.

"Uuuuh, I think now would be a good time, guys!" Sammy squeaks, as she hurriedly tries to help Alice pull a groggy Rakurai from the biobed.

"Indeed." Stryker murmurs ducking instinctively. He chuckles silently, an impish grin on his face, eyes wide with appreciation for the predicament he'd gotten himself into. 'hotter temper than a supernova!' "Alice? You said something about a diner?" He grins innocently as the two drag him towards Sickbay's doors.

Stryker - Dot's Diner

Stryker was eating olives like popcorn. Alice and Sammy shared a huge banana split.

He was starting to remember, more things by the minute. He recited an oath, "I, Rakurai, swear to guard the people of Edenia, against all who threaten it. A Guardian is sworn to valor and honour. My heart know only virtue. My weapons defends the helpless. My deeds helps the powerless. I speaks only the truth. My wrath undoes the wicked. I swear this by my name's sake."

"What was that ?" Sammy asked.

"The oath of the Guardian Collective." Alice answered.

He looked at a Vulcan in red uniform passing by, "Crewman Saavik."

Alice nodded.

Stryker looked at Sammy, innocently, "Samantha. Its clear you and Tiko like other alot. What are you two getting together ?"

Sammy burst into tears, unintelligently muttering and cursing at Stryker before running out of Dot's Diner.

"Honey, that was uncalled for." Alice told him.

"What ?"

"Tiko is in cryo statis. Slowly being eaten by Trite Parasites. He may die soon. He is beyond the point of where Medical science can save his life."

"I should get back to the bridge." Stryker told his wife.

"I am going with you." Alice responded.

CMO Black Wolf's Office, Sickbay

Kiya had been at her desk for hours now. The stack of PADDs in front of her had slowly shifted from one pile to another, completion of the 26 individual reports blessedly nearing completion. She leaned back in her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose in exhaustion, her eyes aching and every single word she tried to see was beginning to run together. All she wanted to do was get all these blasted reports done, and now it seemed like she was almost ready to take a break.

She stared off into the middle distance at nothing in particular. A sudden realization struck her as to how angry she'd been with the Captain for his one man wrecking of Sickbay. She sighed tiredly and shook her head. 'its a wonder I didn't get slapped in the brig!' she mused to herself with a cockeyed grin.

She rounded up the tally in her mind with a wicked smirk; nine medical staff needing repairs to minor injuries, one with need of the ship's counselor and a dislocated jaw, and three biobeds needing resurfacing and minor repairs, the cloth and padding torn to shreds, and several with their components sitting in boxes for the engineering crew to reassemble. And then there was the utility cart that would never be the same again. She snickered quietly as it was she who had requisitioned a new one two months ago, and it was indeed the Captain that had denied said requisition. She guessed she'd be getting a new one afterall.

And, there was one Emergency Medical Hologram that was yet 38 minutes from coming online, still hidden deeply within the deepest guts of a diagnostic program.

Kiya scoured her face with her hands and sighed, 'ok Kiya, let's get this together. it's almost finished, just a few more words and you're out of the woods for today.' She leaned back over the pile of reports, glaring at them.

She grabbed the remaining PADD and began typing in the final notations, realizing with relish that once the last tittle of punctuation was entered and sent to the mainframe, she would finally, truly be finished! With a wide, exhausted smile, she relaxed and tapped the keys to save and log her last entry to the main medical database.

It was then that every last PADD went inexplicably black. Every word disappeared into the voids of electronic mockery. Kiya stared at the PADD in her hand with utter shock, sweat beading on her forehead.

"What the devil!" She growled and began tapping away at the last PADD. Nothing responded. She grabbed up three more and did the same, but they were as inert as the other one. She growled deep, dark curses in Apache and scrabbled through the PADDs with a desperation that was rare in her, each and every last blasted PADD was doing the same blasted thing: Nothing, hours of data gone!

Kiya was fuming as darkly as she'd been just a few hours before, when Alice had made the comment that resulted in a divot being punched into her office wall. And her hand still smarted from it too.

The doctor stood up suddenly, her chair rolling backwards into the wall making a profound crash. Her fists were tight balls, the skin taught and white across her knuckles, and she stomped out into the main room of Sickbay to go find a replicator and some much needed, nerve settling coffee.

Kiya growled several imaginative and possibly physically impossible, Apache ephithetes along the way. And she did so with such dire venom that several of the medtechs and one nurse scrambling to get out of their CMO's way.

The replicator on the wall sat there serene and silent, as Kiya stomped up to it. Just a few lights shining and a soft comforting hum that would usually be the very thing Kiya needed at a time like this. She glowered at it, her eyes nearing that familiar and dangerous black color once again. She took a huge sigh, closed her eyes and leaned her arm up to cradle her head against the wall, as if to confide in an understanding friend. Her body was trembling slightly and there was a distinct raspy quality to her voice.

"Capracian Coffee, black, 120 degrees fahrenheit. Double strength."

After several moments, Kiya's eyes popped open realizing nothing had happened. Her eyes darted down at the replicator bay to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Sure enough, there was nothing there, just the soft, muted hum of the replicator and it's placid soft lights glowing cheerily at her. Her eyebrows shot downward again.

"Capracian Coffee, black, 120 degrees fahrenheit. Double strength." she said a little louder than before.

Still there was nothing. The muscles in her jaw were pulsing and her teeth were once again beginning to grit audibly. She stood away from the wall, her back rigid with anger, and stared hard at the defiant piece of electronic mockery.

"I said, Capracian Coffee, black, 120 degrees fahrenheit. Double strength."

"I heard you doctor, go make it yourself!" The replicator says in an entirely uncustomary voice, most definitely not the regular voice of the computer system.

Kiya's mouth drops open for only a second before she slams her jaw shut and growls deeply, this time a much more unrestrained string of Apache invectives. Several of the medical staff have now realised what is going on and are just a trifle concerned; nothing hacks off their CMO like a lack of black coffee when she needs it.

"I will say this one more time. Coffee. Black. 120 degrees fahrenheit. Double strength!"

The replicator began to make it's customary sounds of compliance. And just as uncustomarily began to spew hot, black, Capracian coffee, double strength, all over the fuming doctor. She stood there trembling soaking head to foot in the one thing she did not need to be wearing in this mood.

Kiya's hand slowly went up to her combadge and struck it into activation so harshly, that it nearly sprang from her uniform.

"Engineering?" she purred all too nicely, "Please send a crew to Sickbay. I am about to disassemble one of your replicators. Piece by infinite piece."


	4. part 4

Dot's Diner

Sabaqwa's face was intently watching everything he did with the intensity of a brilliant scientist about to mix the final chemical of an all important, life changing elixir. Little did he know that this would indeed be a matter of a life changing experience. Just not in the way he had intended.

There had been so many requests in the last few months for variations on the famous potentially explosive drink he'd learned to make, that he'd decided to finally do just that. And late in the night, well after Dot's Diner was empty, seemed the perfect time to delve into the complexities of mixing, when his nerves were calm and nothing was going on to distract him.

"There!" he whispered, his tounge caught on the side of his tooth and his eyes squinted, looking levelly into the flask with a triumphant glare, as the last drop of Venillian thormaothelienoxidoline dripped into the flask.

From two decks up and down and in all directions, the Pretoria felt and heard a low thudding 'boom!'.

The Bridge

The boom lit up lights all over the OPS and navigation stations. Reports were popping up on several boards all at once, several departments reporting both minor power losses and requesting information on the seeming explosion.

"Report!" Snapped Commander Khetrha, her eyes wide and her teeth bared, expecting the worst.

The two ensigns began tapping in tracking, analysis and confirmation codes as fast as their fingers could fly. At last, they looked at each other with a wide eyed expression of wonderment.

"Report immediately." Khetrha growled deeply, not even close to being patient enough for the two ensigns to gaze at each other in amazement.

"Commander, there's been a minor explosion in Dot's Diner." said one ensign with an audible gulp.

"Damage report." Commander Khetrha drolled slowly and consideringly.

"No damage Sir, the explosion seems to be localised to the diner itself. No structural loss, no casualties, no injuries. Dot's Diner seems to be without power, and some small power outages around the diner that have recovered full power now."

Commander Khetrha cocked her head sideways and looked at the two in wonderment, then stooped over to tap some things into the console nearest to her. She stood up straight and rumbled in a deep, dark growling tone.

"Ensign, come with me, Jacobsen, you have the con."

The ensign looked slightly frightened as he stood up, the draconic Commander intimidated him enough any day of the week. Now he had to figure out how the two of them were going to fit together in a tight little turbolift without his stepping on her tail, or in any other way angering the already unhappy Mahri Commander.

back at Dot's Diner

Sabaqwa could not see, his face, fur and entire body was frizzled and soot covered, most of his fur singed away. And Dot's was filled from ceiling to floor, wall to wall, with a stinking, deep, dark black smoke, the consistency of a very heavy mist.

He waved his clawed hands in all directions trying to fan the messy smoke out of his path to the doors. But there was just no inducing the stuff to move. It hung to him like a forlorn puppy needing a home.

Sabaqwa stumbled over chairs, falling through a table he didn't see, and managed to scrape his shin very sharply on some object he hoped direly wasn't some unseen customer who'd been sleeping in a corner somewhere.

Eventually, he feels and half sees the doors to Dot's, the glowing lights that were normally quite bright, were now only popping on and off in sputters. As he stood there, waiting for the doors to sigh open, he realised that they were just not going to budge.

"No power?" he screeches in loathing and fear, pulling uselessly on the doors with his claws.

Suddenly, the doors open, and the smoke begins to pour out into the corridor beyond. Sabaqwa starts to dart out and into the clear air of the corridor when he runs into something that knocks him backwards and onto his rear. Sabaqwa looks up through the terrible smoke and sees the one most dreaded thing he can imagine. Commander Khetrha looming in the swirling smoke, backlit by the very few working lights in the corridor, her hands on her hips and a definitely menacing snarl in her throat.

"Sabaqwa Isth, the tiny Quadarite bartender. I should have known you caused this."

Sabaqwa begins to splutter and back up on the floor, trying to scoot himself as far from the Mahri as he can, "I-I-I can explain Commander ...y-y-you see, it was that drink you and Captain Stryker like so much.. the-the-the explosive one..."

Commander Khetrha leans over him, her face and hot fangs only inches from his whiskers, "Well, little Quadarite, I've waited a long time to have an excuse to airlock you. Now that the Captain seems to have amnesia, I'm sure he won't miss you. Now, come with me little bartender, we have some business to attend to."

"But, but..but!" Sab whimpers in a panick, as Khetrha lifts him by the scruff of his sooty, neck and drags him off. Little does he know she intends to take him straight to Kiya to deal with.

The Pretoria - various locations

At Kel'N'agh's guidance, the Aspects began to spread out through the ship - quite literally.

The Gahenn Val's purpose in any Encounter, was to determine whether the target species was intelligent. Being able to build a civilization or ships that could traverse the vast distances between the stars was not evidence of intelligence for the Gehenn Val. They judged a species to be 'intelligent', only, if they had the capacity for humour. Only a truly intelligent being had that ability.

One of the Aspects -Tax'ne's - moved rapidy through one of the Pretoria's corridor walls and began tracing a route along the hidden ODN conduits till it came to the interior of the Main Computer Core. It raced through the LCARS, devouring the data at a tremendous speed. As each new piece of data was absorbed, the Aspect 'transmitted' its knowledge to the others of its kind. Within a few minutes, all the Aspects had an understanding of the Encounter targets language and technological capabilities.

Tax'ne's Aspect moved out of the LCARS and headed for a Replicator unit that was being acsessed by one of the ships inhabitants.

Kiya spoke, "Capracian Coffee, black, 120 degrees fahrenheit. Double strength."

The Aspect blocked the command before it could be acted upon. It could 'see' the creature through the Replicator's interface panel. It watched Kiya intently, trying to understand the expressions that crossed - the data that these were a Binary Gendered race flowed through the Aspect - 'her' face.

Three times the being asked for a beverage, and each time the Aspect prevented the unit from complying. Tax'ne's Aspect, using the Universal Translator protocols and Crew Manifest to identify the female, configured the Replicator to emit words in the creatures language.

"I heard you doctor, go make it yourself!"

More expressions flitted around the females face. and once more she spoke.

"I will say this one more time. Coffee. Black. 120 degrees fahrenheit. Double strength!"

This time, the Aspect gave the female what she requested and sent a stream of the hot liquid over the womans body. It watched intently as Kiya's hand slapped her Combadge.

"Engineering, please send a crew to Sickbay. I am about to disassemble one of your replicators. Piece by infinite piece."

The Aspect listened intently to the sound of the womans voice and the content of her words, and after a little deliberation, concluded that this target definately do NOT display any sign of possessing a sense of humour.

After a moment, Tax'ne's Aspect moved away to find a new subject, leaving Kiya to stare at the Replicator with a malevolent expression.

Latenight Shift, Sickbay

Demi had been aware of some things going on in Sickbay, most notably was the incident the CMO had encountered with the replicator, and a dourly angry Kiya Black Wolf exiting Sickbay for her quarters to change.

Demi had also maintained a close check on the condition of Lt. Thomas Black Wolf, who was still held alive and securely in the Cryo Stasis Chamber. And she'd decided that this was the best time to disengage herself from the auto lock of the diagnostics routine and rematerialize.

In only a few millionths of a second, the holographic form of Demi Hernandez rematerialized into Sickbay's quiet and dimly lit main deck. Only five members of the medical staff were milling around doing the nightly maintenance and routine systems checks, supply orders and rotations that the third shift usually were busy with at this time of 'night'.

All was quiet and peaceful. A great difference from the calamities of earlier in the day, when the Captain had tried to take her and half of Sickbay apart with his bare claws.

Demi looked around and noted there were still three biobeds in disrepair, the guts of the various sized beds laying in boxes, still awaiting engineering crewmembers to reassemble and test them. She sighed and shook her head, pondering just how much damage a fear and amnesia-crazed Edenian could do in just a few bats of an eyelash.

She walked over to the back of Sickbay and found the one biobed she figured Kiya Black Wolf would be least likely to check. There were just no other people right now onboard the Pretoria who were far enough along in their pregnancies to need the uses of the maternity ward. She readied the biobed and birthing chamber for Tiko's arrival from Cryo Stasis, pulled the curtain around to make the area as private as possible, and stood back to look her preparations over.

Satisfied that all was as ready as it ever could be, she transported herself into her hundreds of millions of coded matrixes, and rematerialized in the Cryo Stasis Chamber at the side of a still comatose Thomas Black Wolf. His body was covered in a healthy green slime of cryo jell, and despite his deteriorating condition, seemed to be as healthy as could be expected in a state of stasis and the ravages of a trite parasite infection.

She walked to the nearby console and began to tap in her final codes, sequencing the cryo stasis protocols to stand down and to begin preparing his body for reanimation. With those preparations finally done to perfection, Demi instructed the medical transporter to rematerialize Tiko on the bed she'd chosen in the maternity ward.

Right on cue, Lt. Thomas Black Wolf rematerialized onto the maternity biobed, still covered in the green, living cryo jell, quite naked and as medically stable as he could be made. Demi materialized to his bedside only seconds after him, and she draped him with a sheet to protect his privacy, the coma he was still in making him as inert as Kiya's PADDs had been a few hours before.

Once Demi had completed a few more notations and preparations, post Tiko's cryo stasis transferal, she pulled the privacy curtain a little more around his biobed, ensuring his complete privacy. Satisfied that she'd gotten this far with no hitches in her plan to get the man healthy and back on his feet, she walked from the quiet maternity ward to the CMO's office to complete a few more reports that had stacked up.

Sickbay was as quiet as a funeral parlour, and that was the way Demi liked it. She smiled happily to herself and seated herself at the desk, her work cut out for her. It was during these moments she was able to research with great abandon, as she simultaneously performed her duties and logged reports for the 1st shift rotation. Nothing was more tranquil than a nearly empty Sickbay at 03:40 hours in the morning.

As Demi got to work, she began to hum a soft rendition of a Lindian symphony. It was her favorite, and she didn't have to listen to the typical criticism this habit tended to instigate, as the place was so darned quiet and serene.

Sickbay - 03:40 hours

Lt. Thomas Black Wolf lay on a biobed, his inert body casting a greenish light on the sheet that covered him. His body lived, but was nearing its limits of survival. The trite infestation that ravaged it was exacting a mortal toll.

As Demi Hernandez worked in the CMO's office she was oblivious of her surroundings.

Above Thomas Black Wolf's biobed, a small, apple-sized ball of blue-white light emerged from the ceilling. It dropped quickly to within a few inches of Thomas's head and floated there for a minute or so.

Onboard the Nal Phess, the Primus sent a communication to the Aspects that ALL subjects were to be tested. Aspects had no names, but they did have identities. They were, after all, living beings; a third gender of the Gahenn Val. This one was partnered with Shi'gos, an Ascendant Engineer. It watched intently as its Aspect acknowledged Kel'N'agh's direction.

Slowly, the sphere of light, suspended above the Lieutenant's face, began to flatten and lengthen. As it did so, fine lines of crimson and deep, electric blue, shot through and around its interior. After a few moments, the sphere of living energy had transformed into a thin, translucent film, in the shape of Thomas Black Wolf. Individual sparks of light could be seen sparkling within the luminescent miasma.

Slowly, the glowing man-shaped sheet of energy settled on, and within the comatose Lieutenant.

For some reason, that she could not define, Demi felt compelled to cast a glance in the direction of Black Wolf's curtained bed. There was nothing apparent to captivate her eye, and she dismissed her reaction as her continuing concern for the man's wellbeing.

The Aspect flowed out to encompass every cell of Thomas Black Wolf's body. The subject had to be conscious for assessment, but this being was not capable of conscious thought, its body was under attack by a foreign existence. The Aspect concentrated on the infection.

Although it did not know what the trite parasite was, it determined that it was preventing the being's immune system from responding properly; interfering with Wolf's HLA, cell surface proteins that are critical for activation of immune responses. Thomas Black Wolf was dying because his body was being prevented from healing itself.

Shi'gos's Aspect moved into every cell of Wolf's body, and altered the genetic structure of the trite parasite. It caused the trite to turn off its telomere sequence that allowed it to replicate. The trite died at the moment it tried to reproduce.

Within an hour, Thomas Black Wolf's body was almost back to normal.

The Aspect placed a thought, or perhaps, compulsion would be a better description, in the Lieutenant's mind, and as weak as he was, Wolf sat up and and opened his eyes.

Demi sat engrossed, till a small movement caught the corner of her eye. She turned her head, and witnessed the spectacle of Thomas Black Wolf, standing in the doorway, in all his naked glory, wearing the sheet she had draped over him, as an impromptue tu-tu.

"Now, you are a pretty sight, lass, wilst thou do me the regard of a dance?"

With that, Lt. Thomas Black Wolf, stood on 'point', extended his arms as though he was going to fly and pirroueted into the middle of Sickbay.

Sickbay

"Now, you are a pretty sight, lass, wilst thou do me the regard of a dance?"

For a moment longer in response time parameters than normal for the EMH, Demi sat thunderstruck. She could not believe her eyes, nor the auditory and visual data that seemed to be fooling her otherwise exquisitely defined senses; Lt. Thomas Yazzy Black Wolf was up and dancing through the main deck of Sickbay.

"Sickbay to Commander Khetrha, report immediately to Sickbay please."

Without responding to the com signal, since she was only a few feet from entering Sickbay anyways, and still dragging the errant and sooty bartender by the scruff of the neck, Commander Khetrha strode smartly into Sickbay. The Commander froze in midstep, took one wide-eyed look at the pirouetting, half-naked form of Lt. Black Wolf, and her great, toothy jaw dropped open. Her wings flapping out once in undenyable shock.

Demi slid up silently to Khetrha and whispered, "What took you so long, Commander?" And looked up at the Mahri with a look of appreciative mirth.

"Well, I must commend you on your advances with Mr. Black Wolf's illness Demi. I admit my surprise." Khetrha stooped so that her head was quite close to Demi's ear, having totally forgotten about Sabaqwa, who was too afraid to look, still expecting to be airlocked as promised. He'd long ago covered both his eyes with his hands, choosing to experience his fate without benefit of any visual confirmations of doom.

"Demi?" whispered Khetrah, "Shouldn't the Lieutenant be in some form of clothing?"

"He wasn't supposed to be up as soon as this Commander, nor dancing. And though I appreciate your sentiments, I have had nothing with his awakening."

Khetrha stood back up to her towering heigth and stared back down at Demi in confusion.

"He is obviously up and.. well enough to dance. I do not comprehend, how can he be thusly and you not have anything to do with it?" Khetrha rumbled in a low growling trill of confusion.

Before Demi could answer, Thomas Black Wolf spun up to Commander Khetrha, grasped her clawed, draconic hand, and bowed deeply, his head near his knees, and his other hand and fingers in perfect position behind him, balancing his courtly bow. He stood up, his back perfectly straight and smiled up at Khetrha's completely baffled face.

"Milady, a fine example of stoic and beguiling beauty! Thou art a fine work of art, a melody of form! And whilst possessing a wild and untamed countenance, that I find most compelling and indeed intriguing, I must offer myself for your hand, thusly. Milady, so fragrant to my heart, wilst thou do me the regard of a dance?"

Thomas took another deep bow, only when he stood proud and debonairly before them all this time, the sheet tu-tu dropped lightly to the floor, revealing quite everything.

Sabaqwa Isth peeped from between his singed, furry fingers, having heard the whole thing, but not certain he could believe any of it.

"If this is some Apache custom ...I think I will pass, oh dear!" he squeaked.

And he slapped his furry hands tightly back over his eyes, hoping Commander Khetrha wasn't about to take up his offer for a dance. Especially with her grip still deeply sunk into his hyde!

The Corridor Outside Dot's Diner

Several engineering crewmembers had walked up to the scene bearing kits of tools and other needed items for the cleanup and repairs. Several had noticed the odd marks in the floor. And many were concocting colorful descriptions of what they surmised had happened. It was evident someone met with a bad end, by the looks of the sooty drag marks down the corridor leading to a turbolift.

Entering the diner, the power completely out, and the place still swirling in clouds of black, sticky and terrible smelling smoke, someone noticed an odd creature was cowaring in the corner near the doors.

"What the heck is that?" one engineer asked, as the form started to stand upright on it's enourmous hind legs.

The spikey creature turned it's all too impossible face towards them and seemed to want to speak. Several engineers backed up against the wall as the creature walked towards them, it's whiskers were ticklingly close to their noses.

"Lt. Krone, report to Dot's Diner! There's... there's a.. a... it's a.."

"Well, what is it?" asked Lt. Krone, quite perplexed.

"Well, it's a... a mansized hedgehog sir!"

Lt. Krone's mouth fell open, not a sound uttered from his mouth... quite yet.

Krone - Dot's Diner

The overly confuzed Lethean made his way down to the corridor outside Dot's Diner. There, he stepped inside past a few Officers and came to meet a giant Hedgehog.

"Uh?"

He quickly stepped back and pulled out his tricorder. But in doing so, was attacked by the creature. It lunged forward in curiosity, prompting Krone to leap back before it could touch him.

The Hedgehod lunged again and Krone this time leaped onto the Hedgehog and then jumped backwards out Dot's Diner.

There he was met by Ensign Morane. "Sir! Are you okay?"  
"I am fine, Ensign. Just... battling a giant Hedgehog."  
"Understood, sir," Morane continued walking on without question.

The Hedgehog broke out the doors of Dot's Diner and ran for Krone. But Krone quickly picked up a broken piece of wall and shielded himself as the Hedgehog ran into him.

Krone with the Hedgehog slammed back into the wall of the corridor as the Hedgehog kept trying to run through him. Using the shield, Krone pushed back and knocked the Hedgehog away. He quickly studied the size and weight of the creature as it was ready to make another dive for him.

"I do not know what you are, but I apologize for this..." Krone threw down his wall piece and allowed the Hedgehog to run into him again. This time he grasped the creature, and linked minds into it. Currents of energy flowed from the back of his hands until the Hedgehog fell over unconscious.

Krone remained standing and shook his head. "I now understand this creature..." he said finally, "It likes to eat processed meat."

Sickbay - Another Aspect on events

Tax'ne's Aspect moved through the ship in search of another subject. As it travelled, it communicated with all the Aspects that meandered throughout the entire volume of the Pretoria's interior - learning and refining.

It eventually reached Sickbay. There were three beings in this compartment. One was unclothed and already under test, the other two had not been Encountered. There was also a third presence, a Uniform Entity. It was composed of discrete, generated energies and the light that emanated from it was designed to mimic a bipedal form. But it was not organic, and therefore, not a subject for Encounter.

Khetrha gave strict instructions to Demi that the slightly singed Sabaqwa Isth was NOT to leave Sickbay on pain of his death, and any deriliction of her charge would result in the EMH's reduction in rank, to the status of Abacus, With that, Khetrha left Sickbay. As she moved toward the exit, Thomas Black Wolf's parting words rang in her ears.

"I see thee my pretty, and mine own heart does sing out. Such are thee, this poor wretches eye's care not to drink in the light of this world, and all its raging splendour is blinded by the bright halo of thy countenance. My heart does burst apart for its longing of your presence"

With that final exultation, Tiko dropped to one knee, head bowed, and arms outstretched to Commander Khetrha's, rather hurridly, receding back.

Sabaqwa Isth, his hands now hanging limply by his side, turned to face Demi.

"Actually, if it's all the same to you, I would rather step out of the airlock...than dance."

Demi noted, for future reference, that Sabaqwa Isth's species was capable of turning their fur a very pale shade.

Khetrha was headed for Dot's Diner, the scene of the felines explosive actions. The Aspect followed...intrigued to see what this being would do...and what might be interesting for her to think next.

Rakurai Stryker - Turbolift

Stryker suddenly had a mischievious gleam in his eye, that Alice noticed right away.

Alice wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him. He devoured her mouth with an urgent hunger. Alice responded in full force, her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers dancing over the back of his head, sending shivers of delight through his body, every inch of his body responding to her caresses.

"Halt lift." Stryker suddenly said. They continued kissing, half lying on the floor now when the comm activated, a female voice suddenly asked, "Sir. Is there an emergency in the turbolift ?"

"No Cadet." Stryker replied, pissed off. He recognized the voice, Kira Loisa Tierney. "Carry on." he practically screamed. There was a slight click as the comm deactivated.

After about two minutes wiothout interruption, eerie harp music started playing. "Carnival music." Alice said, perplexed.

Then the turbolift dropped, fast and out of control.

They didn't know how they got there. Or where they were. They quickly corrected their clothes.

Alice and Stryker found themselves sitting on their rear ends in an amusement park. They were the only ones there.

They saw a floating robot head with cat eyes and cat facial struture. They laughed uneasily. Their laughter faded as the Cat Thing approached them - revealing his true size, which is now quite large. The Cat Thing's purr deepens into a threatening growl. Alice looked at the thing, "You know what this means, don't you Honey ?"

"No. Except I hate clowns."

The Cat Thing roars like a Spidermind, revealing lots and lots of long, needle-like teeth. Alice and Strkyer just stand there, looking scared.

Alice and Stryker were running for their lives, "This is ridiculous!" Stryker complained.

The Cat Thing roared and gnashed his teeth. "Split up!" Alice told her husband.

A duplicate of The Cat Thing appeared. Each Robot Cat Thing takes off after them.  
"Not you !" Alice shouted at the floating Robot.

The Cat Things still roaring, and Stryker and Alice are still running. Their paths intersect. Alice tripped over Stryker, and both landed in a heap.

Alice putting on a Western hat she saw on the ground next oher, and speaking with a John Wayne accent "Well, that's not much of a plan, is it, pilgrim ?"

Stryker and Alice looked around, the floating Robot Cat Things were gone. The Carnival music was back, it sounds distorted, insane. Just then four clowns come out of a nearby tent.

"It can't be good." Stryker complained.


	5. Last and Final Chapter

Dot's Diner - The Aftermath

Commander Khetrha surveyed the scene around her. It would seem there was little physical damage to the Diner. Mostly, the damage was confined to soot blackend walls and a nasty stain where the Quadarite had been brewing his concoction. The room was still filled with a fair amount of smoke that seemed disinclined to settle or dissipate.

With a wry grin, she noticed a clear area of wall, directly behind where Sabaqwa Isth would have been standing at the moment of the explosion, that showed the unmistakable silhouette of the little feline bartender with his arms raised, as if pouring something.

The Aspect, floating above and behind Khetrha in the smokey gloom, became aware of a group of beings aproaching the Diner, and sent out a Compulsion to cause them to see the being below as a large version of a small, spine-covered creature it had come across earlier.

The Commander moved over to the corner of the room close to the Diner's doors, and squatted down to examine some of the debris from the explosion. As she sifted through the remains, the doors to Dot's opened with a soft, sharp "shhh". Khetrha paused for a moment and then stood up to peer through the smoke.

Three large, multi-coloured, Beachballs were bouncing up and down gently in the doorway.

To compound her surprise it this sight, as she stood, the leading ball spoke.

"What the heck is that?"

Khetrha squinted at the impossible sight. Another ball spoke.

:commbadge: "Lt. Krone, report to Dot's Diner! There's... there's a.. a... it's a.."

"Well, what is it?", came the reply. Khetrha recognised Krone's voice.

"Well, it's a... a mansized hedgehog sir!"

Commander Khetrha stared at the Beachball in disbelief.

The giant Hedgehog and the bouncing Beachball's regarded each other uneasilily for a few minutes. The stalemate was only broken by the arrival of Krone.

Krone moved past the Engineers, and the Aspect, still floating close to the ceilling of the Diner, Compelled this new arrival to experience the same vision as the others.

Khetrha was startled by the arrival of a member of a Mariachi band, who then raised a maraca in a threating manner. Her composure was at an end, and some part of her felt a deep need to respond to this new, inconcievable, situation. She leapt forward in an attempt to escape, but the Mariachi player moved backward at the same time. Khetrha, convinced, that these absurd visions were trying to capture her, lunged again in an attempt to break free of the confines of the Diner. Her efforts were rewarded with her colliding with Krone and a struggle ensued.

At some point, during her grappling with the black and silver suited Mexican, he lost his rather fine hat, and she was convinced that she also heard Morane say, "Sir! Are you okay?"

The Mariachi responded, close to her ear, and forced his words through clenched teeth, "I am fine, Ensign. Just... battling a giant Hedgehog."

"Understood, sir," Morane's, distant words, an acknowledgement, his voice even and unconcerned.

At the back of her mind, as she struggled with the Mexican Musician, a small voice spoke to Khetrha. 'Something is wrong here', it said.

That was the last thing she thought, as Krone caused her to black out with his mind link.

Krone's delusion, that he was battling a Giant Hedgehog, confused the information that he thought he had gleaned from the creature - Khetrha was just feeling hungry at the time and a number of fine meat dishes were close to her mind's surface.

Rakurai Stryker

"This is bad". Stryker said.

Four Harlequins with big floppy shoes ran towards Alice and Stryker; their clothes had black and white diamonds on top, black and purple squares on the bottom. They started bombarding cream pies at Alice and Stryker.

Stryker and Alice ran from this insanity. Alice was ahead of him by about 2 meters. Stryker moved to have the pies hit him. Next time they knew, Alice and Stryker got sucked into the Fun House by a giant red carpet tongue no less.

Stryker and Alice ended up in a room with mirrored doors. Stryker tried opening one, suddenly confronted by a marrionette. He fought the man sized puppet, and ripped off its arm with burst of strength. Alice went though the right door, then she was stuck with a blue tricycle with a flat tire.

Another Harlequin on a red tricycle was chasing her. Stryker tackled him off the tricycle.

Soon they are running again. Three Harelquins chased them. After dodging bowling pins and a gigantic bowling ball, they suddenly found themselves back on the Pretoria. Near the turbolift doors on deck 8. Dot's Diner was about 100 meters from the corridor from here.

Alice and Stryker took four steps backwards, as they encountered a pair of the apple sized energy/light balls had saw earlier.

Alice and Stryker was confused and unsure what to do now. Pausing for a few seconds, the encounter balls then moved through the walls towards the port bow.

Alice summoned the lift, "I hope we actually reach the bridge this time." Stryker told Alice. She nodded, chasing her breath. Stryker and Alice's minds in disbelief of the insane "Alice in Wonderland" adventure they just experienced.

Stryker waited, noticed the smell of sugar and lemon creme pie on his uniform.He ignored it. Alice noticed it too, she suddenly found herself feeling hungry again.

Demi - Sickbay

Demi watched Tiko dance with a smile she just could not suppress. Her mouth covered her snickers, but it wasn't very successful at hiding the fact.

"Tiko?" She said, daring to follow his neandering, twirling path through Sickbay, "Tiko! Please come here. We have to get you dressed and hopefully showered before that."

Thomas Black Wolf pirouetted in an elaborate spin and bowed before her, taking Demi's hand in his.

"Milady! The very flower of beauty and grace. There is no beauty in the brilliant realms of the world such as yours!"

Suddenly, Thomas spun Demi into a close embrace, holding her like a flamenco dancer, then just as suddenly flipped her in a deep dip. If she'd had a human's equilibrium, she would have been slightly dizzy. But instead she blushed very brightly and tried not to giggle.

Sabaqwa had been watching the whole thing from the safety of the CMO's office, the skin under his fine, thin fur a brilliant shade of orange pink, totally embarrassed for Demi. But there was a streak of absurd humour to all of this that was tempting him to chuckle. Especially when Tiko bent slowly to kiss Demi while she was held in this very revealing dip in the middle of Sickbay.

Demi's eyes go quite round as his lips near hers, the smell and feel of the cryo jell beginning to make Tiko's grip somewhat precariously slippery.

"Tiko, Thomas! No no no ... I don't think..."

"Milady, dare us not to speak.. when hearts doth speak with intense eloquence." And his lips finally meet hers, but only for about 1/10th of a millisecond before he looses his slippery grip on the hologram and they both tumble to the floor, Tiko's balance thrown completely off.

"Oh heavens! Please tell me this isn't some peculiar human mating ritual." Sabaqwa squeaks from Kiya's office his eyes hidden now in his furry and still very sooty hands.

At that very moment, Tiko and Demi, still struggling to get up from their rather messy spill, look up in shock to see Tammy Paquin, one of the many teachers aboard the Pretoria, her husband, Petty Officer Rubens Barrichello of Stellar Cartography, and their daughter, Meredith who is three years old, grace the front doors of Sickbay. A pair of shocked expressions on the adult's faces.

"Mommy? What is that nekkid man doing on top of the doctor?" Meredith asks quite innocently, her face now as baffled as her parent's.

"Uh-uuhhhmm.. oh my goodness!" Tammy splutters as she hurriedly covers her daughter's eyes, Meredith frustrated and trying to pry her mom's fingers off one at a time.

"Maybe I better handle this, Honey." Rubens states with a flat tone, his face drawing down in a confused frown. "Meredith, stop that, your eyes need a little nap right now."

"Daddy! I feel bad, my tummy's wiggwin'. Mommy? Can I look now, my eyes don't feel sleepy!" Meredith protests with a huge pout on her bottom lip.

Demi, in the meantime, is desperately trying to slip out from under a very amorous Tiko Black Wolf.

"Ooooh no!" Demi squeaks a little higher than normal, "Oh wait! Wait a minute Tammy.. Tiko! Stop that before I have to stop you!" Demi lowers her voice to a dangerous growl, "And believe me, you won't like the way I have to stop you Lieutenant!"

Thomas Black Wolf smiles an endearing smile, as suave' as any Don Juan of antiquity, and tries to kiss her once again, his expression changed to that of the legendary lover.

Instantly, there appears 6 reproductions of Demi's holographic form, and each closing in on Demi and the ardent Tiko Black Wolf. In only an instant later, the reproductions of Demi have Tiko by the arms and legs and hauling him off to the back of Sickbay to restrain more conventionally in a stasis room.

The first Demi, completely covered in Tiko's cryo jell, scrambles to her feet, trying not to slip in the gooey stuff. Demi futilely begins swiping at the stuff with both hands. She screeches in aggravation, as all this accomplishes is to spread the green goo everywhere. In further perterbment, Demi growls, realizing a little slower than normal, that all that is needed is for her to regenerate her image, and she'd be prim and proper as always.

She excuses herself from the trio in an exasperated sigh and reappears in micro seconds later standing near the front of Sickbay, medkit in hand, and still looking just a tad flustered, even for a hologram.

Tammy and Rubens look at each other with raised eyebrows.

"What is the medical emergency please?" Demi tries to put on a professional face, and a sunny innocent smile. But somehow her expression betrays her incredible embarrassment, her graceful aplomb no longer guaranteed. 'Please, someone delete me now.' Demi thinks to herself in wilting embarrassment.

Rubens looks at his wife and stammers, noticably uncertain of his words in light of the scene they'd all just witnessed. Witnessed all except for little Meredith, who was still trying to pry her mother's concealing fingers from her eyes, a screwed up lip of determination and willful curiosity just below her mother's fingers.

Tammy looks a little consterned at Rubens and rescues him, "Demi, we have a little problem, Meredith decided to eat six of the buttons from my dress! She apparently got up from her bed in the night, I hear all these weird choking sounds, run into the living room where I had layed my dress on the sofa, and found Meredith sitting in the floor, all the buttons picked off, and she'd pulled loose so many threads from the fabric that the dress in in ravels."

"And several of the threads were hanging from her mouth too, Honey. We even found what was left of one of the buttons in her mouth, we think she ate it all." Rubens blurts out, his voice found at last.

Demi looks quite calm, but inwardly thanks her programers that she is not capable of bearing children at anytime in her future.

"Alright, come with me young cadet Barrichello." Demi says with a very friendly voice, and she grasps the little girls's tiny fingers in her hand, "Let's go see what the buttons look like on the inside, shall we?"

Meredith looks up at Demi with an impish grin and blurts out, "You were under that nekkid man! Was he kissing you?"

Demi colours a brilliant hue of red and looks straight ahead, trying to not think of the very 'nekkid man', who is now in stasis and awaiting whatever scans and conclusions she can come up with. Perhaps none of them too painful. 'Oh Kiya, you have no idea what fun you are missing!'

Meredith stops and points over at an object sitting in the corner of Sickbay just under one of the supply cabinets, "Doctor? Wazzat rabbit doing there? Is it gonna play wiff me?"

Demi looks over in shock and gasps, not seeing Meredith's rabbit, but a Klingon targh crouching under the cabinet's shadowey bottom.

:commbadge: "Sickbay to Security... we have a... a Klingon targh down here!"

Up high in the ceiling of Sickbay is hovering a trio of the glowing Aspects, their colours quite hypnotic, were anyone to have looked up to notice them.

Main Bridge

Stryker and Alice stepped out of the turbolift, onto the ship's command center.

Where as Kiya had her Apache Black Eyes of Anger and warning to others, Stryker's would fix a powerful withering glare on anyone who would be foolish enough to look his way, cream pie stains on his uniform. The full uncloaked gaze, 'the splitter of fear' - would cause other people to look away immediately or should make their eyes on the ground.

Ensign Liz Archer quickly got out of her chair at the Helm, as another ball of light/energy, floated by and through her chair.

Ensign Belldandy knew better, but announced, "Sir, the Intrepid is hailing."

Alice and Stryker looked at the view screen, the Intrepid waited nearby. Stryker knew the ship come for basically one purpose only: to beam up one of the two power generating artifacts. But never before was a large object beamed up. The Trill Science Council had sent the Intrepid, the combined transporter power to the two ships, should get the object beamed to the Intrepid, who will return it to Trill for detailed analysis. If this is what the Council think it is, could mean the beginning of the Transwarp Era for the Federation.

"On screen." Stryker told Ensign Belldandy.

Commander Reiko Korner and his crew appeared on the viewscreen. Stryker opened his mouth to speak when Alice tugged on his arm. They looked at the Science console on the port side of the spacious bridge.

Stryker blinked, and Alice rubbed her eyes, trying to see if their eyes were deceiving them. The chief science officer, Lt. Krone was surrounded by, Stryker counted them, fourteen!

Fourteen Ensign Zetachi's surrounded Lt. Krone.

Commander Reiko muttered something, "Tell me I am not seeing this."

"You are not seeing this." Stryker replied, "Stand by Intrepid."

The view screen blinked off.

Krone - Bridge

Krone's eyes widened in suprise at being surrounded by these fourteen Zetachi's. His jaw dropped in astonishment, "Ahh, ahhhh! AAhh!"

But then he calmed down and just looked at them. They didn't seem to be doing anything really, except for one or two who waved politely.

"Aren't you going to freak out?" One of the other Bridge Officer's asked.  
"Nah," Krone shrugged, "It is obvious something strange is going on around here, so I may aswell accept it." He extended his hand and shook one of the Zetachis'. "Hello, good to meet you."

"Lieutenant, what is the meaning of this?" The Captian asked.

"I can offer no explanations, sir," Krone answered as he shook another Zetachi's hand.

Suddenly, the real Zetachi walked onto the Bridge and saw all this. "What the?" He jumped back in sudden shock, "Ahh, aaahhh! AAHHH!" Zetach turned to run, but bumped into a copy of himself.  
"He is supposed to be freaking out because of this," the copy said while referring to Krone. "Why isn't he freaking out?"  
"Huh? What are you talking about? Why are you me?" Zetachi squeamered.

"I believe I may have a light to shed on all of this," Krone said as he walked over to the original Zetachi. Why the Captian and crew had to watch all this, they did not know, nor did it offer any relevance to anything at all... anywhere! "You see, I had previously held an air of dislike towards you. As an honourable Lethean, I apologize. I now realize there are more important things to be concerned about, like the floating lights... the two power generating artifacts... and processed meat. Why out of nowhere fourteen copies of you appeared around me, I can only speculate it having something to do with my recent quam with you, Zetachi."

"Oh," Zetachi said, finally understanding. "Captian, request to be transferred to another ship?"  
"Granted," Stryker said as Zetachi ran out the Bridge.

"But" Krone stuttered. "Oh well. I suppose there are fourteen more to work under me. To be honest, you all do excellent work." He glanced over at them. "Please report to the Science Lab to Lieutenant Thrrel. He will give you further instruction on studying these power generating artifacts."  
"Yes sir!" They all said as they left the Bridge.

"Krone, why did you just do that?" Stryker asked. "We have to find out where they came from!"  
"Indeed, and I believe they can be scanned while they do some work for us. It is like a win-win situation."  
Stryker threw up his arms in giving-up. He just didn't know what to think about these strange situations sometimes.

CMO Kiya Black Wolf's Quarters

Kiya was weary. There had never been a day in the history of her life as bizzare or irritating as this one had been. Nothing she tried to do seemed to have gone right.

And now she still had all of her blank reports to do over, which was something she deeply dreaded. Nothing works worse than a tired and stressed brain. And she knew she was in possesion of one of those tonight.

She gusted a heavy resigned sigh and told the computer to fill her jaccuzi. She all but purred as she asked the computer to include a generous dose of Betazed's best bubbling emolient. The jacuzzi was an item she'd wished for since her teens, and now finally had aboard the Pretoria. One of the perks of being a CMO she supposed, but one she was very grateful for, especially after trying days like today.

She peeled out of her uniform and labcoat, that was very soaked with coffee, and were now sticking to her skin. This was exactly not the way she'd planned on enjoying her Capracian coffee, and unceremoniously tossed them to the floor. However, Kiya was very careful to lay her combadge as far from herself as possible.

'No point in making it too easy to get ahold of me tonight.' she smirked to herself.

She settled into the warm, swirling water, her head laying back and her eyes closed to the world, and every possible memory of the day. She smiled finally, a wide, luxuriating, sleepy grin that shone like the sun. This bath was making her feel like a queen. She sighed deeply and sunk down to her chin in the soft, warm bubbles of her bath, the smell as intoxicating as the jets blowing warm, bubbly water on all her acheing muscles.

An instant later, a swirling, glowing orb of energy arose from the other end of her jacuzzi, rising above the lathery bubbles and floating like a lazy butterfly towards Kiya's smiling face, her eyes stil closed. As Kiya began to hum a song to herself, still scrunching down deeper into a more comfortable position, the glowing Aspect began to bob in time with the beat of her humming.

In a few more seconds of consideration and observation, the Aspect also began to make a very similar sound as Kiya's, reproducing the little song in perfect harmony with her. Kiya's eyes popped open, the Aspect mere inches from her nose, and bobbing still in a rhythmic motion, making it's pretty rendition of the song she'd been so blissfully humming a few seconds before.

Kiya splutters, grasping at a nearby towel to cover herself. She tried stretching to reach her combadge, but it was far, far away, mockingly shining at her from the other side of her bath area on the counter.

Kiya wants to get up out of her jacuzzi, but knows that's just not an option, her being sans clothing. So she throws the wet towel at the Aspect, the towel hanging in midair as if caught on an invisible towel hook, still bobbing a little. The Aspect discontinued it's humming and hovered ever closer to Kiya, and she was already as backed up in the tub as she could get and not fall out.

"Security to CMO Black Wolf's quarters! Intruder alert!"

Somewhere in the back of Kiya's mind is the thought rolling around, 'Oh crap, I'm about to have a room full of security people and I'm sporting bubbles and a smile!', the absurdity of the situation making her smirk despite everything.

Security

Ensigns Zachary Patterson, Rachel Skarsten and Cadet Kira Tierney was the first team to arrive outside the CMO's quarters. The doors slid open after Rachael typed in the security overwrite.

The armed security personnel poured into the jacuzzi room, followed by two more teams not even twenty seconds later. Nearby, an Ascept was singing and humming, floating slowly through the room in a circle.

The five men, two humans, two Betazoids and a Bolian stood there, realizing Kiya's situation, who was trying, discreetly to hide her lack of clothing in the jacuzzi's few remaining bubbles. Ensign Zachary Patterson recovered first, he and Tierney had everyone removed from her quarters.

Meanwhile there was nothing anyone knew how to handle the apple sized balls of light, Rachel Skarsten was standing in the jacuzzi room looking royally pissed off while Tierney was somewhere between hickups and laughing at the whole thing.

USS Intrepid

Commander Reiko Korner and her Andorian XO, Emmer looked at each other. "You know" Emmer started, "I often heard of that ship's crazy reputation."

"Who else saw the dozen clones on their bridge ?" the tactical officer, Murray Walker asked.

"I did." everyone answered.

The younger Andorian, Talas, commented, "Their XO, that Mahri looked at me like she was wondering if she should charbroil me or something."

"She's scary." Murray Walker agreed with Talas.

"So is Captain Stryker." Emmer added.

"That is enough everyone." Commander Reiko Korner silenced everyone, "Back on your posts. Text message Pretoria. Tell them we will be ready to sync-up our transporters when they are."

Kel'N'agh watched the beings through his own, personal, Aspect. These creatures provided all the information it needed. Its conclusion: not one individual saw beyond its own limited existence. Not one laughed. Kel'N'agh instucted his crew to withdraw from the Incursion. "Pointless beings, engaged in pointless actions"

"There is no life here""""

"Ascendent, remove us from this location" Kel'N'agh instructed.

The black and silent ship left to other pastures. But it left behind chaos and confusion.

After a few hours the crew began to return to normal. Except Tiko, who callapsed from exhaustion.

Stryker, who was also affected, came to his senses.

Stryker : "Red Alert", he cried out

He turned to his love: "Was that what I should have done?". A small boy's question.

The ship itself, the Pretoria, cut its way through the Universe without the burden of thought or care.

Rakurai Stryker - Bridge

Khetrha and Captain Stryker was not impressed with the message the Ascepts left in the Pretoria's computers.

"Helm! Get us the Hell out of here !" Commander Khetrha ordered.  
"Aye sir, initiating getting-the-hell-out-of-here maneuver." Ensign Liz Archer replied.

Stryker and Alice smiled at each other.

Two days later, 08:45 hours (in the morning)

Alice stepped into Sickbay, dragging someone behind her by the arm.

"Ya ta hey Healer." Alice said, smiling at Kiya.

"Ohayou Alice-san ... Who's this ?" Kiya asked.  
Captain Stryker was pulling against Alice with a very worried and embarrased look on his face, Alice trying to shoosh him and talk to Kiya at the same time. Which was getting very confused. Kiya took one look at Stryker's colourings, and the fact that he seemed to be trying to hide behind Alice, and relaxed a bit.

"Alice, Rakurai, please calm yourselves. I have just gotten Sickbay returned to it's former condition of repair and calm, if you please." She smiled a soft smile and begins to scan the Captain with a medical tricorder, noting his temperature and general vital signs.

"Well, Kiya, what do you think is going on?"

"Alice, not here, not like this! We need to go, please!" Rakurai all but growled, already begining to pant in the Edenian fashion of sweating.

Kiya put her hand up and asked her Captain to please sit down on the biobed, and if possible, to lay down. For which Stryker just glared at Kiya pleadingly. Kiya nodded once and took Alice by the arm to her office.

The door to Kiya's office flared open and Alice breezed in, her emotions very raw and excitable.

"He's driving me insane! One emotion one second, another the next, his colour is all wrong and he's panting profusely at odd moments, mostly during the night. And he's insatiable! It's like he was a hormone-drowned teenager! He's happy, extreemly happy, then deeply depressed, hyper, then laughing out of his mind. And the sleep! He's been going out like he's been drugged at the strangest moments.. I am terribly worried! What did your scans reveal Kiya?" Alice instinctively covers her swelling belly with one hand and looks intensley into the CMO's calm eyes.

"Pon farr." Kiya states simply.

"Excuse me?" Alice whispers, trying not to become more aggitated.

"Like I said, 'pon farr'. Rakurai is in the early stages of the Edenian form of what Vulcans refere to as 'pon farr'. His seems to be running approximately six months ahead of his last cycle. Liet'nieer for the Captain runs about every 5.3 years appart. He's only a little ahead of schedule. Most likely a leaving from our recent experiences with Nagaia and daughters."

Alice's shoulders dropped. Kiya couldn't be sure from exhaustion or relief, but pondered the validity of both reasons.

"Oh my god... I never realised. I feel so awful forcing him down here now. No wonder he was so embarassed!"

The two peeped out of a slim window at the Captain and indeed he looked horrified for anyone to see him in his condition. Kiya choked off a snicker as she watched Rakurai peer longingly, calculatingly, at the door of Sickbay and slammed her hand over her mouth. She knew he hated being in Sickbay on a good day. This had to be like the Spanish Inquisition, just a small wait before the torture.

Kiya cocked her head closer to Alice and spoke softly.

"You remember what all you need to do to help him?" Kiya spoke quietly.

Alice nodded her head.

"Alice take some time off. The next few weeks he'll be needing you quite alot, and for more reasons than last time. He's far enough along in his adult life for the next few weeks to be the most intense. You both will need to eat very well, get plenty of rest. And above all else, relax!"

Alice looks at Kiya with a question burning in her narrowed eyes.

"Waitaminit... you didn't seem too worried right after your first look at him. Before you started the scan... you already knew didn't you?"

"Sure did." Kiya tried not to smile as she watched Rakurai trying to ease off the biobed unseen.

"No, Kiya, how did you know this before you'de even scanend him? I don't understand."

Kiya squelched off the temptation to tell her, 'That's my job! A good doctor always knows what to look for.'

Kiya drew Alice over to the window and noted the slight gasp as she noted how close he was getting to having his seat completely disengaged from the biobed. He looked for all the world like a 5 year old trying to sneak off before he got caught red handed at something naughty.

"Alice, take one look at his neck. Those colourings are almost 100 universal for most sapient and non sapient reptilians. The Captain's mostly embarrased because his neck is in full display colours for mating. He probably doesn't want everyone onboard knowing just how vulnerable he is right now. And he's fighting alot of emotions connected to his instinct to mate. Go home, take some time off. I will advise Commander Khetrha and everything will be fine. Really."

Kiya gave Alice's arm a squeeze, "Better go get him before he absconds to parts unknown." Kiya's eyes were twinkling as Alice gasped and muttered some colourful words, and jumped out the door, just barely catching her husband's arm before he took off.

FIN.


End file.
